Romeo Never Had To Cook
by Chiquinta
Summary: Historical PB Chris is having trouble being the housewife she's expected to be. Finished!
1. Uploaded bit 1

Romeo Never Had To Cook  
  
+++++  
  
What was wrong with the world? Chris thought to herself as she wondered down the main street.  
  
How could her father just pick a man for her to marry?  
  
Admittedly she wasn't into all the Shakespeare romance she saw at the theatre but she wanted to pick a man for herself. She wanted a man who loved her. At least then she could be sure he'd cry if she smacked him.  
  
Instead her father had unjustly signed her life away to a snotty upper class brat, and all because he belonged to a rich, well known family. She severely doubted her father had even met this son.  
  
Word had got around the town one afternoon that Wendell Terrance of the Callaways was disgruntled with the previous bride that had been chosen from him and both families had agreed to end the engagement.  
  
Chris's father had jumped at the opportunity and set up a meeting with Ethan Callaway.  
  
The Callaways owned many of the staple companies in town; the paper mill, the newspaper, the saw mill. Wendell Terrance was the manager of the saw mill and profits had increased 10% since his appointment to the position.  
  
This was probably why Chris's father was so interested. Being the manager of the flour mill himself, he wanted to join forces with another of the successful families in the town. Everyone was concerned now that the McNamara's has moved from New York to Los Angeles to continue their chain of lucrative businesses.  
  
Joe Kelly had come home that night from the meeting and announced proudly that Christine would be marrying Wendell Terrance in a month's time. He'd even had the tenacity to set a date!  
  
Now a week later, Chris was on her way to be fitted for a wedding dress for a wedding to a man she'd never even met.  
  
Chris passed the hardware store and succumbed to the urge to browse. She loved this place. It was also owned by the Callaways but run by an immigrant family. Chris had some great discussions with the family's son, Victor. He was cocky and self-assured, and Chris just loved proving she was better than him.  
  
Sure enough Victor was working there today and he swaggered over to her.  
  
'If I didn't know any better I'd say you come in here just to see me.'  
  
Chris rolled her eyes. 'No thanks, I prefer someone who bathes.' She teased.  
  
Victor just laughed off the comment. 'And I prefer someone who can cook.'  
  
That was probably the only thing Victor was better at.cooking. His mother was a fantastic cook and Victor was picking up on many of her secrets.  
  
'Besides, I heard you're already taken.' Victor continued.  
  
Chris made a face. 'I know, isn't it horrible.'  
  
'Shh, don't say that so loud. You know they own this place too, and if walls really do talk...'  
  
'If walls really do talk then everyone would find out that I can beat you in a foot race wearing high sandals.'  
  
Victor scoffed. 'You're all talk Kelly. If I wasn't sick that day I'd have beaten you.'  
  
'And I suppose if you weren't sick that day you wouldn't have cried about it either.' She said putting her hands the hips of her disgustingly over- fluffed dress.  
  
'I didn't cry about it!' He said indignantly.  
  
'Sure you didn't.' Chris teased.  
  
The bell in the town centre started to chime loudly.  
  
Chris's eyes went wide. 'Oh no! I'm supposed to be there by now!' She headed for the door.  
  
Victor grinned and started humming the wedding march.  
  
She decided the Callaways could wait a few more seconds and picked up a packet of bolts from a container and threw them at Victor.  
  
She ran out of the store laughing as he chased after her.  
  
He tackled her on the street sending a cloud of dust into to air as they hit the ground. Wrestling for a few minutes, Chris knew she'd have to break away else she'd be even later. And there was only one way to deter Victor.she planted a kiss directly onto his lips making his let her go out of shock.  
  
She jumped to her feet and ran.  
  
'I'll get you for that Kelly. Just you wait.' He called after her as she ran down the street.  
  
+++++  
  
Chris burst through the front doors of the tailor's boutique a few minutes later, personally gratified at the speed in which she'd gotten there.  
  
Her satisfaction quickly dissolved upon seeing the looks she got from her father and the Callaways that were already there.  
  
Chris caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. She was covered head to toe is dust. Her hair was coming loose from the braid her mother painstakingly put together for her for the occasion. Her dress had a tear in the leg from Victor tackling her.  
  
'Sorry I'm late.' Chris said tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  
  
Her father looked furious. Ethan and Katherine Callaway looked bemused.  
  
Wendell Terrance just gave her a sexy smile and held out his hand. 'You must be Christine.' He said politely.  
  
She shook his hand. 'Yes, which would make you Wendell Terrance Callaway.'  
  
He nodded. Their hands parted and Wendell Terrance discretely rubbed his hands together to rid them of the dust from Christine's handshake.  
  
The tailor came into the room and pretended not to notice the state of Chris's dress. 'Shall we get started?'  
  
Chris and Wendell Terrance were whisked away into different rooms.  
  
Chris was ordered to strip down to her underwear and was put up on a pedestal and the tailor took her measurements.  
  
'Any ideas for the style of the dress?' Helen Palermo asked. She was one of the few women in town that actually had a job of her own, other than being a housewife.  
  
Helen and her husband Anthony were experienced tailors and made almost all the clothes for everyone.  
  
Anthony at present was in measuring Tc for his suit.  
  
'I don't want to wear white.' Chris said wishing she could put her arms down. Holding them out like a bird while some strange woman took measurements far too close to her breasts was not Chris's idea of fun.  
  
'But sweetie, you have to.' Joe Kelly oozed. 'It's tradition.unless there's something you haven't told me.'  
  
Chris had purposely forgotten to mention the encounter with Victor in his family's barn. 'No daddy.' She said innocently. Chris knew she wasn't going to win this one. She took after her father.as stubborn as a mule, only he was worse.  
  
It's not that Chris didn't mind the idea of everyone thinking she was still pure, it's just that white wasn't her colour. It always got so dirty, especially on her.  
  
'What about a hoop?' Helen asked as her young daughter brought a cup of tea in for Joe.  
  
'Please no.' Chris whined.  
  
'Chris.' Joe warned. 'Kerry Callaway is wearing a hoop for her dress.'  
  
Kerry Callaway, the daughter every father would love to have. Sweet, innocent, virginal. Never got her dresses dirty. Could cook, clean and sew all day, every day. As Chris was an only child, Kerry had been stuck with being the bridesmaid.  
  
Chris had only two bridesmaids since Chris had no female friends herself, much to her father's disgust.  
  
The other woman was of the dreaded McNamara family. Corine, or something like that. It was a ploy to get in good with the opposition.  
  
'Ah, but I can't wear the same thing as the bridesmaids, daddy. I have to stand out.' Chris gave herself a mark for that one.  
  
'What about layers?' Helen suggested. 'It's new and very fashionable in New York City. All the designers are using it.'  
  
'Sounds great.' Joe said.  
  
'What is it?' Chris asked.  
  
Helen smiled. 'It's where you use many different layers of material to give the dress some structure.'  
  
Chris thought about it for a minute. Anything had to be better than a hoop. 'Ok.'  
  
+++++  
  
Chris arrived home that night absolutely exhausted.  
  
After the dress fitting was a trip to the hairdressers with Kerry so they could have their hair experimented on.  
  
Chris had been pulled, blow dried and fluffed to within an inch of her life.then had to get tested for make up as well.  
  
She was looking forward to a hot bath and after dinner she decided she'd take a book down to the paddock and read for a while or go to the stables and see the new foal.  
  
Her horse Nutcracker has just had a baby colt. He was the cutest thing Chris had seen in a long time. She hoped that she'd be able to take them both with her after she got married.  
  
She grabbed some clothes from her room and went down to the shed where their bath was.  
  
She lit the fire under the tub, stripped off and hopped in.  
  
Minutes later her mother came down carrying yet another dreaded dress.  
  
'That had better be a quick bath Christine. The Callaways are already here.'  
  
'What are they doing here?' She asked hanging over the side of the tub.  
  
'We've invited them over for dinner and a more formal introduction. After all, this is your future husband.'  
  
'Not if he dumps me like that last girl.' Chris said and dunked her head underwater.  
  
+++++  
  
Chris was still in the bath ten minutes later when she heard the shed door open.  
  
She was lying on her back floating in the warm water. 'I'll be out in a minute.' She stopped floating and peered over the edge of the tub again, then dunked back under the water when she realised it wasn't her mother.  
  
'Oh sorry.' Wendell Terrance said when he saw that Chris was in the bath. 'They told me there was a lavatory down here.' He marvelled at the size of their 'bath'. The sides were about five feet tall.  
  
Chris pointed to a door next to him.  
  
He thanked her, walked inside and closed the door.  
  
Chris took the opportunity to hop out. If she weren't at the house soon it would be her father that would be coming down here next.  
  
She quickly dried herself and dragged on her bloomers.  
  
The door opened and Chris grabbed the towel to cover herself.  
  
He just stood there looking. 'Again, sorry.' He said and walked out of the shed.  
  
Great, she thought when he was gone. The first three encounters with her fiance was when she was filthy dirty or naked.  
  
She threw on the rest of her clothes and went up to the house.  
  
+++++ 


	2. Uploaded bit 2

Everyone was sitting around the fireplace with a glass of wine in their hands, except Chris's mother who was making dinner.  
  
Chris snuck inside and went into the kitchen.  
  
'What are you doing in here?' Her mother asked. 'You have guests.'  
  
'They're yours and daddy's guests.' Chris protested. 'Besides, I want to help you.'  
  
'Darling, we both know you can't cook.' Her mother retorted. 'Now go into the living room and meet with your guests.'  
  
There were five Callaways all together. Ethan and Katherine, the parents, Wendell Terrence, and Edward and Kerry, Terrence Wendell's siblings.  
  
Chris stood in the doorway and waited to be noticed...which did take a while.  
  
It was Katherine Callaway who noticed her standing there. She patted the seat beside her. 'Come over here darling.' She swooned.  
  
Chris walked over and sat. Katherine handed her a glass of wine. She took a sip and cringed.  
  
'Isn't the wine delicious Christine?' Joe said. 'Ethan tells me it came all the way from Florida.'  
  
'It's great.' Chris said and plastered a smile on her face.  
  
'And Kerry was just telling us a great recipe to use it in.' Katherine said proudly. 'She learned it in cooking class. What was it again darling?'  
  
'Duck pate.' Kerry answered.  
  
Katherine nodded. 'Do you remember making that Christine?'  
  
Chris remembered it all right. She'd vomited it for a week. 'Oh, you know, it's been so long since I did cooking class.'  
  
'But I was a year before you.' Kerry said.  
  
Chris glared at her.  
  
Wendell Terrace tried to hide a laugh. 'Well it doesn't matter.' He said. 'Just as long as she knows how to boil water.'  
  
Chris gave a sigh of relief. That was about the only thing she could do in the kitchen.  
  
Mrs Kelly came into the living room and invited everyone to the dinner table.  
  
+++++  
  
After dinner the Kellys continued to brown-nose.  
  
Chris excused herself and went down to the stables to be with Nutcracker. The whole dinner party thing was not her scene.  
  
She opened to the door to the stall where Nutcracker and her baby were. The foal was lying down having a rest. Nutcracker was grazing on the straw.  
  
Chris picked up a brush and started grooming the mare...and nearly jumped out of her skin when someone tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
'My god, Wendell Terrence! You scared me to death!' She said annoyed.  
  
He pouted. 'Sorry. I wanted to come and find you.'  
  
'Why? Thought I was lost?' Chris said sarcastically went back to grooming the horse.  
  
'No.' He put his hands in the pockets on his pants. 'I was hoping we could do some talking before the wedding.'  
  
'Oh okay.' Chris said with a shrug. 'Talk away.'  
  
'How did your dress fitting go?'  
  
Chris shrugged again. 'It was okay.'  
  
'What does the dress look like?'  
  
'White.' She said half-heartedly.  
  
'You don't like white?' Wendell Terrence asked. He got another shrug as his answer. 'You're really not happy about all this are you?'  
  
She turned to him with a huff. 'I really don't care either way. I didn't have a say in the decision. I haven't been able to pick out my dress, or my bridesmaids, or my hairstyle, and really I don't even know if I want to.'  
  
He gave her a puzzled look. 'I'm confused.'  
  
Chris put down the brush and went and sat with the colt, running her fingers through his soft mane. 'I just think you're the one that will lose out. My father is making me to seem like something I'm not. I can't cook, I can't sew and I don't like dresses.'  
  
Wendell Terrence smiled and went and sat down next to her. 'Yes, but you can boil water.'  
  
Chris couldn't help herself and smiled at him. 'Well, I suppose I can do that.'  
  
'Okay, so what do you want? I mean, with this whole wedding thing. You have to have some preferences.' He said picking at a piece of straw.  
  
Chris looked thoughtfully at the barn's rafters for a minute. 'I want to bring my horse.'  
  
'To the wedding?' He looked at her like she'd just grown hooves herself.  
  
She shook her head. 'No, afterwards.'  
  
Wendell Terrence smiled shyly and looked away.  
  
'What?' She asked.  
  
He sighed. 'Well, cooking and cleaning isn't all that a wife does. And well, I think you're…you know…beautiful.'  
  
'Oh, thanks.' She said like she's be complimented every day of her life. She was trying not to laugh. He looked so innocent and unsure.  
  
'I guess what I want to know is, what you think of me?' He looked at her with big brown eyes pleading.  
  
Chris laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. 'You ain't so bad either.'  
  
He smiled and put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. 'I'm glad.'  
  
Chris sobered. 'I do have one thing that I would like though.'  
  
'What's that? Nutcracker drawing the carriage?'  
  
She gave him a look of mock annoyance. 'No. I was wondering, if you haven't already got your groomsmen…well, there's this guy I know and he's a really good friend...'  
  
+++++  
  
Chris dropped into the hardware store again on her way home from the markets a couple of days later.  
  
Victor was standing behind the counter, polishing the smooth wooden surface.  
  
'Hey you.' He greeted her.  
  
'Hey yourself. What's been happening?' She leaned against the counter and munched on a carrot she'd just bought.  
  
'I got a visit from your fiancé. Apparently he's desperate to have me in the groom's party for the wedding.' Victor said.  
  
She raised an eyebrow. 'Really? I wonder what gave him that idea?' Chris said sarcastically.  
  
'Yeah, I wonder.' Victor stopped polishing and leaned his elbows on the countertop. 'Does he have any idea what went on in the barn?'  
  
Chris rolled her eyes. 'Victor, I told you. It was only so I didn't have to be a walking virgin all my life. I don't like you that way.'  
  
Victor smirked. 'I didn't mean that Chris. I meant that your new hubby might be put off that you're not a virgin. Most girls are you know.'  
  
Chris shrugged. 'Well, that's his problem. I doubt he'll notice after the lack of cooking and cleaning.' She put a hand on Victor's shoulder and spoke softly. 'I know you're madly in love with me Victor, but it can't work. It's not you, it's me.'Victor stood up and playfully punched her. Chris laughed and punched him back, harder. He rounded the counter and grabbed her in a headlock and messed her hair.She squealed and tried to fight him off.Wendell Terrence walked into the store and frowned at the scene. 'What's going on?' His voice echoing through the room.Victor let Chris go at once and virtually stood at attention. 'I was, um, we were, ah…'Chris laughed at him and shook her head. 'We were just mucking around Wendell Terrence. No need to get your back up about it.''He wasn't hurting you?' Tc asked, still frowning.  
  
'No. Besides, I can beat him any day.' Chris said smartly.'Yeah right!' Victor said. 'You're the weakling around here, I could beat YOU any day you…' He looked sidewards at Wendell Terrence and decided that calling Chris a name wasn't in his best interest.'Christine, may I have a word with you?' Wendell Terrence asked.Chris nodded and started to follow Wendell Terrence out the front door of the hardware store. She looked back at Victor.'Busted.' He mouthed.Chris stuck her tongue out at him.+++++When Chris caught up to Wendell Terrence he absently put his arm through hers.  
  
'What was going on in there?' He asked. The look on his face displayed more concern than anything else.  
  
'Oh it was nothing. Victor and I have been friends for a while now and we often muck around.' Chris said nonchalantly.'Yes but he might have been hurting you and you felt that you couldn't say anything in front of him.'  
  
Chris stopped him. 'I'm not a child! I can stand up for myself.' She stood up straight with her shoulders back and stood close to him. 'I could even take you on…''Whoa. Calm down. I was just concerned, that's all.' He almost looked relieved when Chris backed down. 'I was just looking out for you.' He said tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.'Okay then.' Chris said with a sharp nod and kept walking down the street.He came to walk with her. 'Look Christine…''I hate that name.' She interrupted. 'Can't you just call me Chris?''Okay, Chris…I was hoping that we could spend some time together before the wedding. I don't want to come home afterwards to a complete stranger.'Chris again stopped in her tracks. The wedding night…she hadn't thought about that. 'Sounds good to me.''Good, I know this great spot down by the lake. It's really beautiful. We could go on a picnic.'Chris nodded.'Okay then.' He left her as they reached the driveway to her house.'Wendell Terrence!' She called after him.'Please, call me Tc.''Tc. When do you want to go on the picnic?''Are you free this weekend?' He asked.She nodded.'I'll see you then.'  
  
She watched him as he walked up the street. For some reason unknown to her, she couldn't wait.  
  
+++++  
  
Tc had a fairly long walk back to the Sawmill.  
  
He turned around and saw Chris walking up her driveway. She may not like dresses, he thought, but she sure does look good in them.  
  
He thought about the upcoming wedding. It was two and a half weeks away and there was still so much to do.  
  
Chris's dress still wasn't finished. They couldn't pin her down long enough to get the finishing touches.  
  
His mother had no luck in getting Chris's input on the hors d'oeuvers to be served at the reception.  
  
And despite him asking multiple times, Tc couldn't get Chris to tell him where she wanted to go for their honeymoon.  
  
In fact, everything that still needed to be done for the wedding had something to do with Chris.  
  
Tc smiled to himself. She wasn't like any of the other women that had wanted to be married to him. She wasn't even like any other women he'd ever met.  
  
Maybe that's what he liked about her. There was some sort of rebellious streak in her that snubbed its nose at the conventional stereotypical outlook of the female species…but then she didn't fully act like a man either. She was too sweet and too nice to be a man, and from the way that she'd looked at him that night in the barn, he knew that she had a romantic streak in her too, however deep it was buried.  
  
He was definitely looking forward to marrying her. But his insecurities remained. Why was she marrying him? She didn't seem to be interested in his family's businesses, or the money, or the lifestyle. She wasn't interested in playing housewife and she didn't seem the type to marry just to humor her father.  
  
So why was she marrying him?  
  
+++++  
  
After putting away the groceries, Chris grabbed her favorite book and lay down underneath a tree to read.  
  
She couldn't concentrate however. Her mind kept flicking to the current events in her life.  
  
She'd bumped into Katherine Callaway at the market today and had been bombarded with questions about the wedding. What flowers should they use? What colour schemes? What food to serve?  
  
If it was left up to her, she'd get married in a paddock full of wild flowers and soft grass, with cows and horses all around. She'd have the sky as her backdrop and the rushing wind as the music. For the food, she'd have carrot sticks.  
  
Chris got to her feet and went to the kitchen for some carrots.  
  
She lent against the countertop eating her carrot when she found the wedding invitation to her parents.  
  
'Mr and Mrs Ethan Callaway proudly invite you to the wedding of their son Wendell Terrence Callaway to Miss Christine Marie Kelly of Mr and Mrs Joe Kelly.'  
  
Great, she though. From one lot of people owning her to another. Why couldn't they just treat her like the independent person she was instead of just someone's prized cow?  
  
She frowned. What if Tc treated her like this after they were married? What if he wanted to tell her what she could and could not do? What if he told her what to think?  
  
Chris took her concerns out on the carrot and bit down hard on it. He was going to be sadly mistaken if he thought he could boss her around.  
  
+++++  
  
Chris admired her dress in the mirror. For once, she was able to wear it. It was the only dress she owned that she actually liked.  
  
Out of excitement and anticipation, she was taking extra special care to look good for the picnic with Tc this afternoon.  
  
She's untied her hair from its usual scarf and brushed it till it shone. She's put on a necklace her father gave her for her last birthday and had even put on perfume.  
  
The door of her bedroom opened and her mother walked in.  
  
'You aren't wearing that dress are you?' Her mother asked.  
  
Chris did a twirl. 'I was planning to. It looks good on me. I think he'll like it.'  
  
'Wendell Terrence was bringing a horse around so you could ride to the lake together. It'll be a bit hard in that dress.'  
  
The dress was made from a cream coloured velvet that would attract horse hair and dirt like a magnet. It was also fitted and fell to just below her knees. Perfect for a date, but no so much a horse ride.  
  
'Well I'm going to wear it anyway.' Chris said stubbornly. 'He didn't tell me we were going horse riding and I'm not changing my plans to suit him.'  
  
'But honey, that's what good wives do.' Her mother tried to reason with her.  
  
'No, good wives cook, clean and sleep with their legs open. I am not that kind of wife. I've already told him that.'  
  
'Darling, Wendell Terrence is a good man from a good family. You really don't want to be rocking the boat this close to the wedding.'  
  
'I'm not rocking the boat mother. I'm steering it.' Chris put her book in her bag with her purse and went downstairs to wait for Tc.  
  
+++++  
  
Sure enough, Tc rode up with another horse in tow.  
  
He dismounted and tied the horses to the fence before coming over to Chris. He had to resist the urge to give her a cuddle for his greeting. Instead he just gave her one of his sexy smiles.  
  
'Are you ready to go?' He asked.  
  
Chris pointed. 'What's with the horse? I'm not dressed to go riding.'  
  
Tc looked taken aback. He had expected her to fawn over him a little then they'd saddle up and ride off into the sunset. 'Um, I thought if we rode there we'd have more time to picnic.'  
  
'So why not tell me this? And why not let me take one of my horses?' Chris stood with her arms folded across her chest.  
  
'Well, with Nutcracker needing to be here to nurse I thought that I'd bring one of my mares.' He looked over at the horse. 'She's really good-natured and very gentle.'  
  
Chris looked at him and raised an eyebrow.  
  
'And when we get married we'll be sharing everything, including horses.' He sighed. 'I was going to leave this for the lake but I guess I should tell you now. This mare is a present…to you.'  
  
'You're giving me a horse?' Chris said with a smile. She went over to Tc and hugged him. 'That's really sweet.'  
  
Tc smiled back at her. 'I'm glad you like her.'  
  
Chris went over to the horse to introduce herself. He was right, the horse was very sweet. She nuzzled Chris and didn't budge when Chris looked her over.  
  
Chris put a foot in one of the stirrups and Tc rushed to aid her. 'Do you need help?' He asked but Chris was already sitting up high on the horse.  
  
'Nope.' She said cheerily. 'But if you want to untie her, that would be a blessing.'  
  
Tc nodded and untied the lead rope from the fence. He also untied his horse and mounted it. 'Ready to go?' He asked.  
  
'Race ya.' Chris said, kicking the horse in the gut and taking off.  
  
+++++ 


	3. Uploaded bit 3

Tc trailed Chris all the way to the lake. She was waiting for him when he got there.  
  
The horse was tied to a dry enjoying a well-deserved drink. Chris was sitting on the grass with her skirt spread out around her. 'Beat ya.' She said as he rode up.  
  
He dismounted and tied up his horse, retrieving the picnic basket. 'I had a disadvantage.' He said, spreading out the rug and sitting down.  
  
Chris wiggled over and sat on the rug next to him, fishing through the picnic basket. She was starving. 'What did you bring me?'  
  
Tc pulled out the contents of the basket. 'Let's see. We have ham, chicken, rolls, butter…' He pulled out a flask. 'And hot chocolate.'  
  
'Yum.' Chris dived straight into the food.  
  
Tc watched her in awe. This girl was so unconventional; digging into food like she hadn't been fed for days, riding in a knee length dress that was now filthy from dust and covered in hair…and he was still attracted to her.  
  
'Chris, can I ask you something.'  
  
'Yeah.' She mumbled with a mouth full of food.  
  
'Why are you getting married?'  
  
Chris gave him a look like he'd just grown horns. She swallowed hard. 'My dad wants me to. He set it up.'  
  
'Oh.' Tc said. He looked away from her and she could tell that it wasn't the answer he was looking for.  
  
'Isn't it the same reason you're getting married? Because you're expected to?' She asked waving her roll in the air.  
  
He shook his head. 'I wanted a wife.'  
  
'Well, you picked a really good one.' She said sarcastically. 'You should have gotten yourself one who could cook and sew. Instead you got me.'  
  
'I wanted a wife so I could love her, not so she could wait on me hand and foot.' Tc played with a bit of fluff on the rug. 'And for the record, I decided I wanted to marry you, not my father or your father. I did.'  
  
'Really? I thought my father met with your father who had to decide whether I was good enough or not.'  
  
Tc shook his head. 'You're father arranged a meeting with my father and that meeting took place, but I was there the entire time. I was the one who said that I wanted to get married and I was the one who picked you to be my wife.'  
  
'But why? You could have so many women who would fall at your feet as soon as you got home and would have dinner ready and have the house spotless. Why me?'  
  
Tc thought hard for a minute. Why had he picked her? 'You're unique. Your father did his best to show you in your best light. I saw through it though. I didn't want the perfect woman who could cook otherwise I'd just hire a housekeeper. I wanted the perfect partner. Someone who I could talk to, someone who I could have fun with, someone that I could love.' He looked deep into her eyes. 'I love you.'  
  
Chris smiled and leaned over to hug him. 'I love you too.' She gave him a peck on the cheek. 'And for the record, I'm not regretting my father's decision to have me marry you.'  
  
Tc nuzzled Chris and started kissing her neck.  
  
'Tc?'  
  
'Mmm?'  
  
'Why did you give me a horse?'  
  
Tc lifted his head. 'You wouldn't have liked it if I'd given you a dress or a necklace or something like that.'  
  
'True.' She said. Chris looked into his eyes and ran her fingers through his silky hair. 'Do you want to know why I love you?'  
  
'I'd love to know why you love me.' He said, enjoying being stroked.  
  
'Because you're handsome and because you're nice, and because you don't seem to mind that I'm not a prissy little lady.'  
  
'That's one of your best features.' He said. 'I wouldn't want you to be prissy. Then you'd be like my mother and sister.' He pulled a face.  
  
Chris laughed and kissed the look away. 'You're too attractive to pull faces like that.' She kneeled in front of him so that she could get a better angle on his mouth.  
  
His lips parted for a breath and she seized the opportunity to delve her tongue into his mouth, tasting him and caressing him.  
  
She pulled away and he sat back breathing heavily and staring intently into her eyes. 'Do you usually kiss like that?'  
  
Chris shook her head, a few blonde strands falling across her face.  
  
He reached up and swept them away. 'Chris, I want you to know that when I say 'I do' it will be forever. And when I say I love someone, I mean it to the very core of my being.'  
  
She looked deep into his eyes. She didn't have to speak to share what she was feeling. She loved him too.  
  
Tc pulled her to him and claimed her mouth once more, slowly scratching his nails down her back causing her to shiver.  
  
She returned the favor by running her tongue along his bottom lip. He groaned in response.  
  
Tc moved his hands down Chris's back and supporting her, dragged her into his lap. She settled into this new position and wrapped her legs around him.  
  
Chris took hold of his hands and guided them up her skirt so he could undo her bloomers and she wriggled them down to her knees before working him out of his trousers.  
  
Tc nuzzled and kissed her neck while his hands explored what else was under Chris's dress.  
  
She unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands across his smooth chest. She put her arms around his neck and pushed herself up hard against him as he entered her.  
  
But Tc recoiled quickly and pulled away from her.  
  
'What?' She asked, puzzled.  
  
He frowned and stared at her in shock. 'You're not a virgin!'  
  
Chris glared and jumped to her feet, doing up her bloomers in the process. She headed for the horses.  
  
Tc got up, also fixing his clothes. 'Why didn't you tell me?'  
  
Chris untied the mare from the tree. 'I didn't think I had to tell you everything. Don't I have some free will of my own?' Chris mounted the horse.  
  
'But this is something you should have told me.' Tc grabbed the reigns. 'Chris, I just poured my heart out to you, I told you that I loved you and you said you loved me.'  
  
'Well, I lied.' Chris said, jerking the horse into action.  
  
Tc let go of the reigns…and let go of Chris.  
  
+++++ 


	4. Uploaded bit 4

Tc did not see Chris again until the rehearsal dinner.  
  
She'd managed to avoid him thus far, choosing to spend a lot of time alternating between working on her family's farm and visiting her father at the flourmill…well at least that is what Victor had told him.  
  
Chris had visited with Katherine to finalize the arrangements for the wedding, but only when Tc was busy at work.  
  
And he was busy. The harvesting of a pine forest had kept the sawmill running at double pace for the last week or so.  
  
Tc sat in daydreaming his office high above the factory floor. He missed Chris, more than he'd like to admit. He wondered if she was going to show up to the wedding, and if she'd say 'I do'. Victor had said that she would but Tc wondered why Chris hadn't spoken to him herself. He knew he'd hurt her, even though he hadn't meant to. It had just slipped out, a mistake that he was still kicking himself over. Was Chris going to continue to ignore him after the wedding as well?  
  
The sawmill foreman came into Tc's office.  
  
Russ Grainger may be considered a little young to be a foreman but he'd grown up in the timber industry and had joined the sawmill at an early age. After some breaking in, Russ had shown an interest in the managerial side of things too as Tc was eager to train him up.  
  
'What's up Grainger?' Tc asked disinterestedly as he sat doodling on his chalkboard.  
  
Russ put a stack of papers in front of his boss. 'Here's the production report you were after. Production is up even though the machines have had some downtime…are you okay?'  
  
Tc looked up from his drawing. 'Yeah, I'm probably tired. With the mill running hot and all the wedding arrangements, I'm beat.'  
  
'Can't wait till the honeymoon huh?' Russ said. He knew Tc needed a holiday. He worked long hours at the mill anyway but over the last week he'd hardly left…except to go to town on the odd occasion. 'Where are you two going?'  
  
Tc shrugged. 'I'm not sure. Chris has simple tastes and she hasn't really said where she wants to go.'  
  
Russ nodded. 'I took my wife, Monica to the mountains for our honeymoon. It's nice up there at this time of year.'  
  
'Thanks Grainger. I'll keep it in mind.'  
  
Grainger smiled and went back to the floor.  
  
Tc stared at the papers in front of him but the numbers would not make sense.  
  
He had to talk to her…if he could find her.  
  
+++++  
  
Chris stood up from behind a stack of boxes. 'Is he gone get?' She asked Victor.  
  
She'd been having a casual chat with Victor when Tc rode into town. If Cory aka Corrine McNamara hadn't run into the hardware store to warn Chris she'd probably have been found out.  
  
Cory had pretended that it was she that was talking with Victor and that's why Tc had heard a female voice in the hardware store. Chris was starting to like this woman.  
  
Victor went back to the job he was interrupted from - sorting screws. 'You know, you're gonna have to talk to him sometime.'  
  
'I know.' She said. Chris went over to help Victor with the screws. 'But I just don't want to face him right now.'  
  
'The dinner is tonight, remember? You'll have to talk to him.'  
  
Chris flicked a screw so it spun like a top on the counter. 'I remember. I've been dreading it all week.'  
  
'It's not that bad. Besides, it's an arranged marriage, you aren't supposed to love the guy already.' Victor picked up Chris's screw and put it into a bag for sale.  
  
'Maybe I could pretend to be sick. Then they'll have to postpone the whole wedding because we haven't done the rehearsal.'  
  
Victor shook his head. 'Nah, then they'd just make you get married without knowing what you're supposed to be doing.'  
  
'I don't see what the big deal is anyway. He likes me for my personality, not my perfect wifeeness.'  
  
'He's from a family that marries nice women who are still virgins when they get married. They just presumed that you were the same because you're Joe Kelly's daughter.' Victor said. 'Boy were they wrong.' He muttered.  
  
+++++  
  
The Kelly carriage arrived at the Callaway's as the sun was setting. The setting sun peeking through the hills made for a nice backdrop.  
  
Not that Chris was in a mood to admire the scenery. She was nauseous with anxiety. Her only reprieve was that both Victor and Cory were there…and both knew her predicament.  
  
Over the last couple of weeks Chris had grown quite close to Cory. Unlike the stereotype of her family, Cory wasn't an evil, malicious bitch wanting to take over the world.  
  
Chris's father helped her out of the carriage. She hitched her dress up so she didn't trip. Her dress was this big, blue, fluffy thing that Chris detested but her mother said it made her look like a mature lady but in truth made her look like a cream puff.  
  
Chris tiptoed along the path leading to the Callaway's front door. There were huge puddles to dodge and the ground was like quicksand from the day's rain. Not that she was afraid of getting a little dirty but she feared her mother's wrath if she dared to something to the big blue balloon that she wore.  
  
Once at the front door a maid was there to clean off Chris's shoes. Chris just rolled her eyes and left the shoes at the door. It wasn't as if they'd walk off by themselves; she'd come back for them later.  
  
She was immediately pounced on by Katherine Callaway. 'Big day tomorrow dear. Aren't you excited?'  
  
Chris just smiled and nodded. 'Not as excited as you.' She muttered as she made her escape.  
  
She grabbed Cory. 'Help! If I get cooed at one more time, I'll…I'll take a knife to this dress and then my mother will kill me.' Chris huffed. 'At least then I won't have to go through with this.'  
  
'Relax Chris. Once you're married they'll all back off…until it's time for you to have a baby.' Cory said with a cheeky grin.  
  
Chris groaned. The last thing she wanted was to have a baby.  
  
'So are you going through with it?' Cory asked.  
  
Chris shrugged. 'I'm here aren't I? Besides, it'll serve him right to get stuck with me for the way he acted. And besides, who else would want a wife that can't do anything.'  
  
'Well, Victor could always be a back up.'  
  
'For what?' Tc appeared standing behind Cory who'd started to blush.  
  
The two women exchanged helpless looks.  
  
'For a husband, you know, if you don't want me.' Chris explained.  
  
'Why wouldn't I want you?' Tc said with the utmost seriousness.  
  
Cory looked from Chris to Tc and back again. 'I might leave you two alone.' She said and hastily departed.  
  
Tc moved closer to his fiancé. 'What did you mean Chris?'  
  
Chris folded her arms and tried to look tough in her big blue fluffy dress. 'Well you haven't spoken to me since the picnic and you weren't very happy with me then. Can I help but feel that you don't want me?'  
  
'Yes you can!' He said. 'I have been trying to talk to you yet you keep disappearing and it's either Corinne or Victor that have been covering for you. If I wasn't to know any better I'd say that you were hiding.'  
  
Chris shrugged. 'So what if I was?'  
  
'And,' he continued, 'I was very happy with you, hence what happened…'  
  
'But now you've decided that you can't stand a wife that isn't perfect, right?' She said scornfully.  
  
Tc shook his head. 'No, that's not right at all. I thought we went through this?'  
  
'We did, well, the cooking and cleaning part.'  
  
'So what's the problem?'  
  
Chris pouted. 'You pulled away.'  
  
Tc opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Kerry. 'They want to start the rehearsal now.'  
  
'Can we talk about this later?' He said quietly to Chris.  
  
'Whatever.' She muttered, holding up her hand to him as she stormed past him to get her shoes.  
  
+++++  
  
'Do you Wendell Terrance Callaway take Christine Marie to be your lawfully wedded wife?'  
  
Chris stood at the 'alter' hardly breathing as they ran through the rehearsals. Even though this was only a practice she was nervous and shaking all over.  
  
They were holding the rehearsal in one of the formal dining rooms at the Callaway's house so that everyone could have dinner there afterwards.  
  
'I do.' Tc said. He had barely looked at her throughout the entire rehearsal. When he had it was only for a split second.  
  
'And do you Christine Marie Kelly take Wendell Terrance to be your lawfully wedded husband?'  
  
Chris hesitated. 'Um, yeah.'  
  
A few people in the room snickered. Chris looked over at Victor who was also trying not to laugh. He just shook his head.  
  
'I believe you're supposed to say, I do.' The priest said to Chris.  
  
'Oh, yeah.' Chris said again.   
  
The priest looked at Tc and continued. 'And by the power invested in me by the church, I now pronounce you husband and wife. And then you two kiss.'  
  
Chris looked at Tc with a look of utter panic. They didn't expect her to kiss him now, did they?  
  
Tc gave her a cool look before turning to the priest. 'Then the music starts up and we walk down the aisle together right?'  
  
The priest nodded.  
  
'Okay, let's eat.' Tc announced and headed for the dining room.  
  
There were a few murmurs amongst the crowd as they followed him.  
  
Chris stood there bemused. Cory wandered over to her. 'If I didn't know any better I'd say I was just left at the alter.' 


	5. Uploaded bit 5

Katherine Callaway grabbed Chris the minute she set foot into the dining room. 'Your seat is over here dear.' She guided Chris to a seat, not surprisingly, next to Tc.  
  
Chris gave Tc a polite smile as she sat down, but only because he was watching her do so.  
  
Ethan Callaway stood up and made a toast to the 'happy' couple, wishing them all the best for the future, and generally rambling on. Chris was hungry.  
  
When Ethan finished his toast the food was served and people finally stopped paying attention to them.  
  
Tc leaned closer to Chris. 'About before, the 'issue' from the picnic didn't worry me, just surprised me, okay?'  
  
And that had surprised Chris. She looked at him and smiled. 'Okay.'  
  
+++++  
  
The part broke up after dinner. Most of the 'older' guests had retired to a room to smoke cigars and reminisce about their own weddings.  
  
Tc and Victor were making the most of the free alcohol and had become quite intoxicated.  
  
'What's Chris like?' Tc asked. He'd hoped to know this question before he was married but with Chris avoiding him like the plague for the last couple of weeks he hadn't been able to satisfy his curiosity about this woman.  
  
'In bed?' Victor said slightly slurred.  
  
Tc laughed. 'How would you know what she's like in bed?' Victor gave a guilty look. Tc's face fell. 'It was you?!'  
  
Victor took a couple of steps back. He didn't want a black eye for the wedding. 'It wasn't like that.'  
  
'I don't believe this.' Tc shook his head. 'So this is why she wanted you in the wedding? So if she got cold feet she could always grab the groomsman and marry him instead.'  
  
'It's not like that? Chris and I are just friends.' He defended. Oh him and his big mouth.  
  
'Do you normally sleep with your friends?' Tc asked condescendingly.  
  
'It was her fault. I told her that I didn't want to sleep with her but she said that she wanted to know what it felt like.' Victor cursed inwardly as he backed up against a wall. Tc was still walking towards him.  
  
'And so you just rolled over and begged?' Tc glared.  
  
'Well, more like panted.' He said with a laugh then winced as Tc's face turned to stone.  
  
'Bloody hell.' Tc yelled. He took a swing and hit the wall next to Victor's head.  
  
Victor couldn't have said it better himself and took the opportunity to duck out of the way while Tc was nursing his bloodied knuckles.  
  
The pain seemed to have quelled his anger, if only for a little minute.  
  
'Look, she's not a bad girl. It was her first and only time. She's not a tramp or anything.' Victor said softly, hoping to reach the part that cared for Chris.  
  
'And that makes it all better does it?' Tc asked sardonically. He shook his head and left the room.  
  
Tc found Chris talking with Cory in the kitchen.  
  
He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to face him. 'Why didn't you tell me you had sex with Victor?'  
  
Tc was met with a stingy slap across his cheek and Chris stormed out of the room.  
  
He mouthed his objection to the stinging pain and looked at Cory expecting to get a sympathetic look from her.  
  
Instead she was frowning.  
  
'What?' He asked.  
  
Cory rolled her eyes and nonchalantly pointed into the living room.  
  
He followed her gaze and was met with the eyes of both his and Chris's families wondering what on earth was going on.  
  
Joe Kelly immediately started apologizing profusely to Katherine and Ethan, claiming he had no idea of his daughter's indiscretions.  
  
Katherine looked shocked. She was staring off into space and muttering to herself, something about Chris being a good girl and how could this happen.  
  
Even the prim and proper Kerry was mouthing a few choice words to her brother.  
  
Cory came over to Tc and patted him on the shoulder. 'Your fight.' She said and went after Chris.  
  
+++++  
  
Chris ran out of the Callaway house with tears streaming steadily down her flushed cheeks.  
  
Running hard, she didn't care that mud was splashing up all over her dress and was soaking through her shoes. She just wanted to get away.  
  
From somewhere in the darkness a horse neighed softly, probably looking for food.  
  
Chris seized the opportunity. She dashed across the front lawn with mud flying all over her and climbed over the railing.  
  
'You'd better be able to jump.' Chris said tearfully to the horse and she climbed onto its back.  
  
She clutched the horse by its halter and kicked hard into its ribs. 'Go you bastard, go!' She gritted her teeth and guided it towards the fence.  
  
Chris held on tight as the horse heaved itself over the wooden fence railing praying it didn't crash and kill them both.  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief when its hooves hit the ground on the other side and they rode away into the night. 


	6. Uploaded bit 6

Chris woke up in her bed the next morning feeling terrible. Her chest ached from crying, her legs were sore from gripping the horse and she was still wearing that blue, mud-splattered dress.  
  
She got up slowly and went to the window.  
  
Nutcracker and her new colt were prancing around the paddock. She looked so happy with her new baby and was trotting like she was showing off. Chris also noticed that Nutcracker had done an excellent job cleaning and looking after the baby.  
  
Chris smiled. It was so like her horse to know more about being a wife than she did.  
  
There was a gentle tap on the door and Chris's mother walked in.  
  
'Darling, you should be getting ready.' Her mother frowned at the state of the dress. As well as being mud splattered it was crinkled and there was a tear in the bodice from Chris tossing and turning in her sleep.  
  
'Ready for what?' Chris mumbled. She knew her mother wasn't stupid enough to think that Tc's family would want them to marry after what had happened.  
  
'The wedding Christine...unless you've changed your mind.' Mrs Kelly put some fresh towels on Chris's bed.  
  
Chris rolled her eyes. 'You are joking aren't you? Have you lost your mind? I'm surprised there isn't an angry mob downstairs with pitch forks ready to kill me.'  
  
She gave her daughter a sly grin. 'Well, there is someone downstairs to see you.'  
  
Chris sighed and flounced out of the room. No doubt it would be Cory checking up to see how she was. Or Kerry Callaway serving a warning to stay away from her family or else. Oh it would serve them right to see her in the state she was is; muddy dress, red puffy face, her hair all over the place.  
  
Chris bounded down the stairs into the living room. Her jaw dropped when she came face to face with Tc.  
  
'What are you doing here?' She asked.  
  
'I came to make sure that you hadn't changed your mind.' Tc stood there with his hands behind his back looking very sweet and innocent. He was trying his best not to look at the dress although secretly glad the dress was ruined. It was pretty and all; it just did not suit her.  
  
'You mean I'm not going to be lynched.' She said sarcastically.  
  
'Not today.'  
  
Chris folded her arms. 'You're an ass.'  
  
Tc smiled. 'I know. I was an ass, a rather drunk ass to be exact. You shocked me, again. I suppose I should start getting used to it if I'm going to marry you.' He walked towards her and put his arms around her waist, holding her close. 'From the bottom of my heart Chris, I am so sorry. I feel terrible that you were embarrassed like that. But I still want to marry you, if you'll accept me as your husband.' His voice had petered down to almost a whisper. His gaze focused on her mouth and he moved closer, bowing his head so that he could reach her lips.  
  
Just moments before she descended into the sweet passion that was her fiancé she noticed somebody lurking on the porch.  
  
'Victor.' She said as Tc's lips brushed against her own.  
  
'What?' Tc pulled back a bit and looked at her strangely.  
  
Chris pushed past him and ran out the front door.  
  
Victor saw Chris coming and bolted.  
  
'You're going down Del Toro!' She yelled after him.  
  
Victor ran around the side of the house. Chris sprinted after him with Tc following wondering if he was going to have to break up the fight.  
  
Chris caught up to Victor and tackled him. They wrestled on the ground before Chris got the upper hand and dragged him to his feet, pinning him to the house by his throat.  
  
'If you ever, EVER open your mouth again you'll have to explain to your mother why you can't give her grandchildren.' Chris said and placed a suggestive knee between his legs. 'You understand me?'  
  
'Nice dress.' Victor laughed.  
  
Chris dropped him on the ground. 'Well you're lucky I'm wearing it else I'd kick you butt…again.'  
  
'Yeah, whatever.' He mumbled picking himself up off the ground.  
  
Tc stood there with his hands on his hips. 'Are you two quite finished?'  
  
Chris smiled sweetly at him pretending nothing had happened, then pushed Victor over when he tried to get up.  
  
Tc just shook his head. 'Anyway, back to business. Chris, are you coming to the chapel?'  
  
'I'll be there.' She said and walked past him on the way to the house. 'With bells on.'  
  
+++++  
  
Chris smoothed out the material in the skirt of her wedding dress and she looked at herself in the mirror in her bedroom. In a few minutes she would board one of the most expensive carriages on the market, drawn by the most dressed up horses she'd ever seen and she would be taken to the overly decorated chapel to get married.  
  
She made a face. She's never been so scared in her entire life. Her palms were sweating, all the blood had drained from her face and she was shaking like a leaf.  
  
There was a knock at the door and Cory walked in. 'How's everything coming along?' Chris turned to face her and Cory laughed. 'It's really not that bad Chris. I mean Tc is a nice guy…and that dress looks great.'  
  
Chris wrung her hands. 'I don't know if I can do this Cory.'  
  
'Oh, come here.' Cory gave Chris a big reassuring hug. 'You'll be fine. You love Tc and he loves you. It couldn't be more perfect.'  
  
'What if I trip?' Nobody sane had had a say in the shoes she was wearing. The heel was huge and was already making her calves cramp.  
  
'Walk slowly. You have to anyway for the wedding march.'  
  
'What if I stuff up my words?' She'd been given a sheet of paper with her vows on it and had been practicing it. Chris thought she had it memorized but now she couldn't remember any of it.  
  
'The priest will remind you and everyone else will think you're too love sick to remember.'  
  
Chris turned back to the mirror. 'What if I faint?'  
  
'Then the strong loving arms of your husband will catch you. Don't worry so much Chris, it will be fine.' Cory fixed up a flower in Chris's hair. 'The only thing I'd be worried about is Victor making faces at you during the ceremony.'  
  
'Nah, I'd kick his butt and he knows it.'  
  
'There, that's the Chris we all love to see.' Cory gave her a hug again. 'I'm so jealous. When I get married can I wear your dress?'  
  
Chris snorted. 'You can have it as soon as I take it off this afternoon.'  
  
Kerry, who went to Chris's house to get dressed along with the rest of the bride's party came upstairs. 'The carriage is here. Are you ready?'  
  
'I'm ready.' Chris said and took one more painful look in the mirror before following her two bridesmaids downstairs.  
  
+++++  
  
Chris shook and clutched her father's arm as the music started playing. Her heart jumped into her throat as the entire congregation stood up and turned to look at her.  
  
Joe patted his daughter's hand and gave her a warm smile. 'It's okay.' He said softly.  
  
Chris took a deep breath and started to walk. Her poor squashed feet were screaming at her with each step she took. Her legs felt like they didn't have a bone between them and something inside her was screaming for her to ditch these horribly girly shoes and run. But at the same time she felt like she was floating.  
  
She looked up and her gaze rested on Tc standing at the front of the church waiting for her. He looked gorgeous in his tux. She also knew he was thinking something similar about her as they previously hadn't laid eyes on each other outfits for the day.  
  
Chris shifted her gaze to Victor who was standing up straight and tall trying to look sophisticated. It didn't work. As soon as he spotted Chris looking at him he had to stop himself from laughing.  
  
Tc watched as Chris's face broke from a look of terror to a big grin when she looked over at Victor. At that particular moment, Tc felt like killing the guy. How dare he have such an affect on Chris! He hated the fact that Victor could make Chris laugh when he himself couldn't. He hated that he was so jealous of the two of them. He hated that the thought of Chris with someone else made him feel so sick.  
  
He glanced over at Cory who shook her head slowly. 'They're just friends.' She mouthed to him.  
  
He'd received the biggest tongue lashing from Cory the night before about how he'd handled Chris. She's made her point simple. 'Victor would love to be with her but she looks to him like a brother.' He'd mentioned something about his relationship with Kerry and said that there was no way he'd have every slept with her. Cory just rolled her eyes. 'When she had her mind made up about something she just does it. Victor was a pawn, nothing more.'  
  
Tc looked at his mother who was already dabbing away tears. The Kelly's had left shortly after Chris had run away. Katherine had then burst into tears and refused to be consoled until Tc told her that he was not going to be breaking up with Chris. Then, she hugged him, kissed him and said how proud she was of him for not being superficial. Katherine had been so excited about this wedding it was like she was the one getting married.  
  
Chris reached the front of the church and turned to face her father as she was supposed to. He lifted her veil and kissed her lightly on the cheek.  
  
'Don't go!' She whispered.  
  
'You'll be fine.' He patted her on the hand and went to take his seat.  
  
Chris froze. She couldn't move despite her wanting to turn and fact Tc just to get this process over and done with. Instead she'd turned to ice, just standing there with her fists clenched so tightly they were snapping the fragile stems of the roses in her bouquet.  
  
She tried unsuccessfully to take deep breaths in order to calm herself. Chris made a mental note never to let her mother tie her corset again...better still, don't wear a corset.  
  
Tc watched on slightly bemused as Chris stood there gasping for air. He took a step towards her and gently slipped his hand in hers, guiding her around to face him.  
  
Their eyes met and it made Chris's heart flutter. His gaze was so soft and warm and had ignited the butterflies in her stomach.  
  
The music that Chris had not been keeping time to died down and the ceremony began.  
  
'Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...' the priest started, not that either Chris or Tc was listening.  
  
Tc was involved in a love struck awe of the beautiful bride standing before him looking like a shining princess with her impeccably white gown that hugged her figure beautifully, and hair that radiated shine.  
  
Chris was trying not to laugh. She could see Victor over Tc's shoulder and he was pulling faces at her. She was concentrating so hard on not laughing that she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Tc say 'I do.' They're up to that part already, she thought.  
  
'And do you Christine Marie Kelly take Wendell Terrence to be your lawfully wedded husband?'  
  
Chris hesitated and glanced at her father who was holding his breath - probably because of her response at the rehearsal last night.  
  
'I do.' She said then whispered, 'I think.'  
  
The priest frowned but continued anyway. He was making Tc repeat the vows. Chris closed her eyes, listening to his voice hoping that when her turn came she'd remember what to say.  
  
'Now Christine, if you'll repeat after me...' The priest directed her.  
  
Chris rambled off her vows...until half way through one line when she completely got stuck. She stood there with her mouth open hoping the words would magically make there way out. They didn't.  
  
Victor cleared his throat and she looked over at him. He mouthed the rest of her line. Chris grinned at him and continued with her vows.  
  
'And by the power invested in me by the church, I now pronounce you husband and wife.'  
  
Tc leaned towards her and gently brushed his lips against hers.  
  
Chris gave him an odd look. 'Is that the best you can do?' She said, only realizing too late that she'd said it rather loudly and people were snickering.  
  
Tc hadn't seemed to notice though. He grinned before dipping her, pressing his mouth against hers until she was sure that her lips were bruised. He righted her again. 'Better?'  
  
'Much.' She said and the congregation applauded as Tc took his wife's hand and escorted her back down the aisle and into the carriage that would eventually take them to the reception.  
  
+++++  
  
The coach master cracked the whip in the air and Nutcracker let out a neigh before leading the other four horses on their way.  
  
Inside the carriage Tc leaned closer to Chris. 'You think?' He asked with a laugh.  
  
Chris shrugged sheepishly.  
  
'You my dear, are mad. This wedding is going to be the talking point of the town for a long time you realize.' He tried swatting at a fly that was buzzing around.  
  
'Well you try getting married in a corset and see how you feel.' Chris defended. 'I was nearly passing out.'  
  
'I know.' Tc said softly, reaching up and stroking her cheek. 'But you made a beautiful bride.'  
  
+++++  
  
Chris, Tc and their families arrived at the reception later than all the other guests and they had to stop off for a photo session. It was rather eventful. The photographer had asked the newlyweds to pose in front of a fountain, and Tc had his reflexes tested when Chris nearly fell in. As it was she'd sunk her four inch heels into the soft ground and covered them with mud…again. Mud was her friend.  
  
When the group arrived the reception 'hall' was packed full of guests, most of which Chris didn't know. She had no idea why Katherine referred to it as a hall. All was just a big white cloth roof held up by poles. Chris would have called it a tent filled with people wanting free food.  
  
In one corner of the tent was a table covered in wedding gifts, next to it was the cake which was nearly taller than she was. And next to that was the buffet table piled high with food, most of which were Rosa Del Toro's creations.  
  
Chris laughed when Victor came in wearing an apron and carrying more plates of food to the table. She decided this was not an opportunity to pass up and went over to tease him. 'How's the blushing bride?' She asked.  
  
'You just watch out Kelly or I'll be sending this pile of jam scones down the front of that dress.'  
  
'You wouldn't dare.'  
  
Victor sighed. 'Actually, you're right. I wouldn't because then my family would get fired now that you are 'royalty' and everything.'  
  
'Oh bullsh...'  
  
'Christine, darling.' Katherine cooed. 'The festivities are about to start.' She linked arms with Chris and led her away to her seat.  
  
Victor ditched his apron and took his spot at the bridal party's table.  
  
First Ethan Callaway welcomed everyone and made his toast, the Chris's dad who harped on about how lucky Chris was to be married to Tc, then Teddy Callaway got up and made his toast followed by Cory. By this stage Chris was nearly falling asleep, but glad to be resting her poor feet. Those shoes were hitting the fire as soon as she got home. She didn't want to inflict them on anybody else.  
  
Ethan stood back up again and introduced the bridal waltz.  
  
Chris froze. Bridal waltz?! Somehow they'd forgotten to mention she'd be dancing and someone had forgotten to mention that she didn't know how to dance. The last time she'd attempted it she was five and her father was carrying her so her feet were far from the floor.  
  
Tc rose from his seat and escorted Chris to the dance floor.  
  
'I can't do this!' She hissed.  
  
'Sure you can.' Was Tc's reply but after stepping on his feet six times during the first half of the dance he started to realize that maybe she was right. He held her tightly around the waist. 'Stand on my feet.'  
  
'I thought I already had.' She looked at his shoes. The polished black leather was now scuffed.  
  
'Just do it.'  
  
As she climbed onto his feet he lifted her so that she was resting against him. With his free hand he moved her arms so that they were resting on his shoulders.  
  
'Better?' He asked.  
  
'Much.'  
  
It also gave Chris the opportunity to rest her head on Tc's chest, close her eyes and shut out the crowd who were watching. She really didn't like being the center of attention, at least not while she was wearing a dress.  
  
+++++  
  
A while later after the cake had been cut and Chris had a chance to stuff herself full of food, Tc suggested that they leave.  
  
'Why? I was just starting to have fun.' She replied so he let them stay longer.  
  
Ethan came up to them shortly after and suggested to Tc that they head off else the road to the mountains will be too dark to travel on safely. Chris pouted and Tc informed his father that they'd be leaving for the mountains the following day.  
  
Later, Joe Kelly came up to his daughter. 'What are you still doing here? You two should have been long gone by now. Are you trying to embarrass your entire family? Why do you have to rebel against all traditions?' This was after Chris had refused to through the bouquet. She liked the flowers and wanted to keep them.  
  
Tc was over talking to Teddy when Chris approached him. 'Dad wants to kill me, can we go now?'  
  
Tc nodded and Teddy yelled to the crowd. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, the bride and groom are now leaving for their honeymoon.' This started a stampede towards them and lots of little rice missiles thrown her way.  
  
Now she understood why newly married couples ran for their carriages. It was to escape the handfuls of rice being pegged at them from all angles, most of which was coming from Victor and Teddy who were competing to get the most amount of rice down Chris's top.  
  
As the carriage pulled away with tin cans rattling behind them Chris pulled fistfuls of rice from her dress. 'You brother is so funny.' She said sarcastically.  
  
Tc just laughed which prompted a rice fight in the back of the carriage.  
  
+++++  
  
Chris was surprised to see Nutcracker and her colt grazing in the paddock next to her new house when they arrived at Tc's.  
  
'That was quick.' She commented.  
  
'Your father hired a bunch of guys from his factory to move your stuff while the wedding was going on.' Tc pulled the key from a chain around his neck and unlocked the door.  
  
'He wanted to get rid of me that fast? I feel so rejected.' Chris said sarcastically and went inside.  
  
'Aren't I supposed to carry you across the threshold?' Tc said following her in.  
  
'No, that would be conforming to tradition which apparently I don't do. And also you'd probably end up with a sore back.' She hung up her coat on the rack.  
  
'Your father loves you. He just wants the best for you.' Tc also hung up his coat and slipped his arms around Chris's waist.  
  
'Does your father make all your decisions for you?'  
  
'He used to. Now he has Kerry so I'm off the hook.' He gave Chris a kiss on the cheek before sitting down in a lounge chair and kicking off his shoes. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.  
  
Chris watched him for a moment before hobbling over to him with her sore feet and standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. 'Okay, I know by now a real wife would have read your mind and gotten you like, a drink or something.'  
  
He opened his eyes and looked at her. 'I don't want anything from you. I'm just tired.'  
  
'Why?' She asked.  
  
'I didn't sleep last night.'  
  
'Again, why?'  
  
'I was worried about you. I even went all the way over to your place before realizing you probably needed a night to cool off so I came back here and worried.'  
  
'Oh.' Was her reply. 'Does this mean you don't need a drink?'  
  
He shook his head.  
  
Chris thought about it for a minute then went and sat in his lap. 'Can you undo my corset for me?'  
  
Tc untied her and she jumped off his lap and went upstairs to change into something more comfortable and to get rid of her shoes. She wrapped her dress and shoes in paper and wrote 'Cory' on the front.  
  
When she came back downstairs in a rather suggestive night dress she found Tc already asleep in his chair. She searched around and found a blanket which she spread over him before going upstairs to sleep.  
  
+++++  
  
The next week was spent 'honeymooning' in a cottage in the mountains. Chris thought the whole idea was a farce. She was quite sure couples on their honeymoons weren't still going through the 'get to know you' faze. Although she had learned more about Tc in that week than in the whole month they'd known each other before the wedding.  
  
For example, she now knew that he got up at a horribly ungodly hour of the morning, and that he'd whisper and nudge her to see if she was awake, and that a swift kick in the shins usually made him stop.  
  
He had also learned not to wake Chris before 9 am. In fact, he learned not to wake her at all unless he was accompanied by breakfast and a coffee.  
  
Chris woke on the last morning of their honeymoon to find that Tc had already packed up most of the cart.  
  
'I was hoping to get an early start to we can go to the markets back in town to get some food for the next couple of days.' Was his explanation.  
  
Chris complied but not before running down to the nearby lake and having a swim first.  
  
+++++  
  
They arrived home and found Chris's mother sweeping the patio.  
  
'I brought over some of Christine's clothes that she left behind.'  
  
Chris rolled her eyes guessing that the clothes were the ten or so big fluffy dresses she'd had Victor sneak back into her old wardrobe.  
  
'Thanks Mum.' She said sweetly.  
  
'Oh, and I made you my famous roast chicken for dinner.'  
  
Chris nearly gagged. There was nothing famous about that chicken. It was drowned in seasoning and spices and tasted horrible. 'Great.' She said.  
  
Her mother put down the broom. 'I suppose I should leave you two alone now. I'm sure you have plenty of things to do.'  
  
'Like what?' Dinner was cooked, the house was clean, what could she possibly need to do.  
  
'Oh nothing.' Her mother said coyly. 'Just husband and wife stuff.'  
  
Oh that, Chris thought. Cory had mentioned something about everyone expecting Chris to fall pregnant within the first few weeks of them being married. She found it rather unrealistic.  
  
Her mother toddled off and Tc headed for the food.  
  
Chris sat at the table and watched him eat.  
  
'Aren't you hungry?' He asked.  
  
'For that? No way!'  
  
'What's wrong with it? Is it poisoned?' He asked.  
  
Chris shook her head. 'Yeah by about a thousand little leaf things she puts in it.'  
  
'They're herbs Chris.'  
  
She just looked at him. 'They make it taste disgusting.'  
  
He shrugged. 'I think it's good.'  
  
+++++ 


	7. Uploaded bit 7

Tc sat in his office daydreaming about his lovely new wife.  
  
They'd stayed up most of the previous night talking, among other things, which is most probably why he couldn't concentrate. His mind kept flicking back to her; what she was doing, what she was wearing…it was almost like she was there walking across the factory floor dodging the machinery in a light breezy dress carrying a picnic basket…  
  
He almost jumped a mile when he realized it was her walking across the factory floor dodging the machinery in a light breezy dress carrying a picnic basket.  
  
He leapt to his feet and raced down the stairs. 'Stop the machines!' He yelled repeatedly.  
  
Chris looked around her as the workers scuttled to various parts of the factory and stopped the noisy contraptions.  
  
'What the hell are you doing?!' Tc screamed at her, partly because the machines were still emitting a great deal of noise as they were grinding to a halt and partly because his heart was pounding out of his chest with panic.  
  
'I was just um,' Chris looked around at the rather annoyed faces of the workers, 'I was just bringing you lunch.'  
  
'Yeah, well you were just about to be turned into lunch meat yourself.' He ranted. 'Chris, these machines could kill you. Now I realize that being a woman you probably haven't stepped foot into a mill like this before but…'  
  
Chris glared, threw the picnic basket on the factor floor and stormed out.  
  
Tc huffed, picked up the basket and ran after her. It made for a funny sight for the workers; their macho boss running through the mill carrying a picnic basket.  
  
'Chris wait.' He called after her. When she didn't stop he grabbed her arm. 'Honey, I'm sorry.'  
  
She ripped her arm from his grasp. 'Don't Honey me! You just made me look like an idiot!'  
  
'And I'm sorry.' He said quietly. 'It's just not safe for you here. You could have been killed and,' he moved closer to her and rested his hands on her hips, 'and I don't want anything to happen to you.'  
  
Chris looked at him skeptically. 'You seem to forget that my father owns a mill and I'm aware of what machinery can do. I was perfectly safe walking through there since I'd stood there for ten minutes watching where the workers were walking and what the machines did. Stop treating me like I'm, I'm,' she pointed at Russ's wife who'd just shown up and was now lounging all over him, 'like her.'  
  
Tc looked sheepish. 'I didn't mean that...'  
  
'I am not some blonde tart Tc and I will NOT be treated like one.' Chris glared at the offending woman making her look bad. 'At least I bathe.' She muttered.  
  
Tc smiled to himself. 'She's got nothing over you.'  
  
'You say the sweetest things.' Chris reached up and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
TC tentatively closed the distance, slowly bringing his face closer to hers as if asking for permission, asking if he had been forgiven. She quickly closed the remaining gap between them, kissing him with every bit of spirit she had.  
  
Their lips eventually parted and she nuzzled her face against his. 'Just don't do it again.' She whispered.  
  
'I wouldn't dream of it.' He replied then toyed with a loose piece of wicker on the basket handle. 'Do you want to go on that picnic now?'  
  
'Sure.'  
  
'Let me just tell Russ I'll be missing for a while.'  
  
Chris liked the sound of that. It meant they could take their time, alone, in private.  
  
She followed him over to where Russ and Monica were standing.  
  
Chris walks up to the blonde woman and slaps her, pulling her hair and scratching at her face. 'Get your own man!' She screams and she wrestles her to the ground  
  
Tc stood back in awe as Russ goes to fetch the buckets of water.  
  
He retrieved them in record time and threw the water over the women. The dust under their bodies quickly turned to mud which Chris took great delight in scooping up and rubbing into Monica's face.  
  
As Monica recovered, trying to spit the mud out Chris got up and kicked her back down before jumping on her, aiming her elbow into the middle of Monica's back.  
  
'Chris,' Tc interrupted her fantasy scenario, 'this is Russ my foreman and his wife Monica of the Harpers.'  
  
Chris tried a smile that ended up being more of a smirk. 'Hi.' She said simply.  
  
'Oh, hi!' Monica said with a flick of her hair. 'I heard you two just got married. 'It's such a shame I couldn't be there. Russ said it was a beautiful wedding.' The other woman gushed.  
  
Chris could feel her stomach gushing.  
  
Russ smiled sweetly, wrapping his arms around his wife and patting her stomach. 'Monica had a touch of morning sickness.' He kissed her neck. Monica giggled, then looked gloatingly at Chris.  
  
Chris rolled her eyes. 'Well Tc, DARLING,' she stressed, 'we really should be going on our picnic. Oh Russ, Tc came over to tell you we won't be back for a while. We're off to have some really hot sex because, well, I don't have morning sickness.' She grabbed Tc's hand and dragged him away. 'Don't expect him back any time soon.' Chris threw over her shoulder.  
  
Chris marched away dragging Tc along behind her until she was sure that they'd left horrible blonde woman behind, then she let go of him. She walked ahead of him until she found what she thought was a good picnic site and plunked herself down on the bare earth.  
  
Tc spread out the rug near her and sat on it. 'You want to talk about it?' He asked.  
  
'What is there to talk about?' She asked rather too sweetly.  
  
Tc sighed. 'It just seems you are a little, well, jealous of Monica.'  
  
'Should I be?' Chris didn't look at him as she buttered her bread.  
  
'No.' He moved closer to her so that he could stroke the soft skin of her cheek. 'I love you Chris and you have got nothing to be jealous of. You are a much more interesting person, more beautiful too,' he kissed her jaw line, 'not to mention smart,' he moved his kisses to the other side of her face, 'and sexy.'  
  
Chris shooed him away like a fly. 'Ok, I get the point.'  
  
Tc smiled and pulled out a roll for himself.  
  
'It's just that she's so irritating. Did you see the way she was gloating because she was pregnant?' Chris waved her roll around like a weapon. 'It was like, oh look at me! I'm gonna get big and fat and that's gonna make me a better person.'  
  
Tc laughed.  
  
'What?' Chris snapped.  
  
'You seem like you are jealous and want a baby of your own just to spite the woman.'  
  
'What's wrong with that?' Chris mumbled.  
  
Tc looked at her. 'You're serious? You want a baby?'  
  
'Yes.' She said quietly. 'But not just because she is having one.' Tc moved forward to kiss her but Chris just thumped him with her roll. 'Not now! I'm hungry.'  
  
+++++  
  
The next few weeks were a busy schedule of Tc working during the day, Tc coming home to Chris's attempt at a dinner and then them going to bed to try for a baby. And although Tc was incredibly exhausted by the whole experience he didn't draw the line until one night he came home to Chris's version of her mother's famous roast chicken. He took one bite and ran outside to spit it out.  
  
When he came back in Chris was standing with her hands on her hips looking most unimpressed. 'Do you know how long that took me to make?!'  
  
'I'm sorry honey.' He said. 'But garlic should be used sparingly.'  
  
Chris ripped off her apron and threw it to the floor before storming upstairs.  
  
Tc went after her and found her curled up on their bed reading a book. He leaned against the doorframe. 'Chris, honey. I love that you are trying to cook and play the sweet little housewife but it's just not you. I think we both know you can't cook.'  
  
Chris rolled over and hurled the book at him. It crashed into the wall next to his head. She frowned at her lack of aim and turned over again to stare at the wall.  
  
Tc picked up the book and read the cover. Romeo and Juliet. Chris had mentioned she liked the theatre. He took the book over with him and lay on the bed next to her, putting the book back on the nightstand. 'Don't worry about it honey. I was never desperate for a wife that could cook and after meeting you I knew I wouldn't settle for anything less.'  
  
Chris huffed but didn't say anything.  
  
'Don't worry about the cooking. I'll come home from work a little earlier and make dinner instead.'  
  
Chris picked up the book from the nightstand and ran her hand over the cover. 'Romeo never had to cook.' She said.  
  
'Yeah but think about it. They both died, probably from food poisoning. If Romeo had just done the cooking then everyone would have lived.'  
  
Chris giggled and rolled onto her back so that she could look deep into his eyes. She splayed her hands across his chest, caressing the hard muscles of his torso. 'You're beautiful.' She said in barely a whisper.  
  
He reached his head down and kissed her taking his time and slowly running his tongue along her lips. 'So are you.' He murmured.  
  
+++++  
  
'Thanks for coming with me Cory. I didn't want to face this by myself.' Chris sat anxiously in the waiting room of the doctor's Surgery.  
  
'It's fine although I don't know why you didn't just get Tc to come with you. It is his baby.' Cory picked at a loose thread on the hem of her skirt.  
  
'He's at work and what if I'm not pregnant, then he'd have wasted all this time sitting here and he couldn't get his work done at the mill…'  
  
'Chris you're babbling.' Cory interrupted.  
  
'I'm nervous.'  
  
'Really?' She said sarcastically. 'I never would have guessed.'  
  
Chris gave her a wry smile.  
  
'Mrs Callaway, the doctor will see you now.' Chris had barely seen the nurse appear at the counter.  
  
'Come with me Cory.' She said dragging her friend by the hand.  
  
'No! If you're going to be a mother, you need to learn to handle things like this.'  
  
Chris looked from the safe haven of Cory to the doorway of doom into the doctor's office and back to Cory. She pouted. 'Please!'  
  
Cory shook her head.  
  
'Mrs Callaway?' The nurse asked inquisitively. 'Is everything okay?'  
  
Chris took a deep breath. 'Everything is fine.'  
  
The nurse smiled and led Chris into the office.  
  
'Ah Christine. Have a seat.' The doctor said. He'd been the town doctor for years and had even come to her wedding. 'What can I do for you?'  
  
'I think I might be pregnant.' She whispered.  
  
'Sorry, I didn't quite hear you. My hearing is going in my old age.' The doctor said with a laugh.  
  
Chris swallowed hard. 'I think I might be pregnant.' She said again.  
  
The doctor frowned at her from over the rim of his glasses. 'What makes you think that?'  
  
She rolled her eyes. 'The usual stuff.'  
  
'Which is?'  
  
'I've missed a few periods, I was throwing up a lot for a while and now my belly is getting big.' Chris patted the growing mound. 'I've been suspicious of this for a while.'  
  
'Hmm. Well, hop up on the bed here and let me have a look at you.' The doctor got to his feet and patted a raised bed behind him.  
  
Chris sat on the bed.  
  
'Ah, you'll have to lie down.'  
  
Chris lay back on the bed and the doctor lifted her dress. 'Hey!' She sat up straight and pulled the dress back down. 'What the hell do you think you're doing?'  
  
'I need to examine your stomach to see if I can feel the baby.' The doctor looked at her oddly.  
  
'Oh.' Chris said blushing a little.  
  
The doctor lifted her dress again and felt around Chris's bump and made a few Hmm-ing sounds.  
  
'Yes, I can definitely feel a baby there.' He said finally.  
  
Chris's heart jumped into her throat. She should have expected that was to be the case, considering all the evidence but to hear him actually confirm it sent her into a spin.  
  
The rest of the doctor's visit was a bit of a blur although she did manage to find out that she was about four months pregnant.  
  
Chris came out of the office in a daze and barely managed to fumble through her purse to find money to pay the doctor.  
  
'Are you okay?' Cory asked when they got outside.  
  
Chris shook her head and dissolved into tears. 'I'm pregnant.' She blubbered.  
  
Cory stopped her in the middle of the street and gave her a hug. 'It's okay Chris. It's what you wanted isn't it?'  
  
Chris flapped her arms. 'I don't know.' She wailed making people look over at them.  
  
'Come on.' Cory put her arm around Chris's shoulders. 'Well go back to my place. Nobody is home today except me. At least then you can cry in peace.'  
  
+++++  
  
Chris poked her stomach. 'I can't feel any baby in there.'  
  
Cory flicked at Chris's hand. 'Stop that or you're more likely to poke it's eye out or something.'  
  
'Does it even have eyes yet?'  
  
Cory shrugged. 'It's got to get eyes sometime and you don't want to be poking them out.'  
  
'I wonder what it looks like.'  
  
'Probably wet, slimy and red. That's what my niece and nephew looked like when they were born.  
  
'I should never have gotten pregnant.' Chris wallowed in self-pity. 'I don't know even the first thing about having babies and raising them.'  
  
'I think it's wonderful and you'll be really good with it once it's born. Jenny didn't know much about babies either when she was having hers and she managed just fine.'  
  
'Yeah but how do you know when to start pushing or whatever.'  
  
Cory frowned. 'I don't know. She just did it. You know, you could always hang out with Monica. She's having her baby soon.'  
  
This prompted them both into a fit of laughter.  
  
Chris all of a sudden put her hand across her stomach. 'I think I felt something.' She said excitedly.  
  
Cory put her hand across Chris's stomach too and waited.  
  
'Oh, wait, it was just a hiccup.' Chris said.  
  
+++++  
  
Victor rode the cart up to where Tc and Russ were talking outside the mill. 'Special delivery for Mr Callaway.' He announced getting down off the cart and handing Tc a basket. 'Chris asked me to bring it over when she found I was coming here.'  
  
'Did you get those axe handles we ordered?' Russ asked and opened the back of the cart to have a look at what had been brought for them.  
  
'Yeah, they're in there.' Victor said. 'Is it safe?' He asked referring to Tc's lunch.  
  
He nodded. 'It's only sandwiches.'  
  
Russ grabbed a wheelbarrow and loaded up the supplies for the mill and took them inside leaving Tc and Victor to talk.  
  
'How's things with Chris?' Victor asked.  
  
'Good.' Tc replied. 'Why?'  
  
Victor shrugged. 'Just curious. Anything new on the home front.'  
  
'No.'  
  
'Oh ok.' Victor rubbed his foot in the dirt. 'Well I'd better get back to the store then.'  
  
'You do that.' Tc was slightly suspicious about Victor's line of questioning but put it down to the little man's strange nature.  
  
+++++  
  
'You haven't told him.' Victor announced when he walked back into the store.  
  
Chris and Cory were hanging out there again.  
  
'What are you talking about?' Cory asked.  
  
'She hasn't told Tc she's pregnant.' Victor said.  
  
Cory gasped at Chris. 'You HAVE to tell him. It's been like a month!'  
  
Chris shrugged. 'He'll find out anyway. Besides, if he was observant he'd know anyway.'  
  
'How's he not found out already. I mean, I would have picked it up by now.' Victor wiped down the counter and spread out a cloth for their own lunch.  
  
'It wasn't that hard. I took the hems out on my clothes, showered after he'd gone to work and kept making comments about putting on weight. And I haven't felt like getting intimate although if he whines one more time...'  
  
'Correction Chris, I took the hems out on your clothes.' Cory said. 'But you should still tell him.'  
  
'I will...eventually.'  
  
+++++  
  
'Ah Mr Callaway. How is Christine doing?' The doctor approached Tc in the market while he was looking for bread and milk to take home.  
  
Chris used to do the shopping, along with a few other things on the home front but was now too tired. Although how she could complain about getting fat while not doing anything was beyond him.  
  
'Chris is fine.' Tc replied.  
  
'I'm surprised she hasn't come back to see me with her condition and all.'  
  
'Her condition?' Tc gave the old man a confused look.  
  
'Yes, with the baby? Can you remind her that it is always a good idea to come in for checkups to see if the pregnancy is going along all right.'  
  
Tc went numb. 'I'll see what I can do.' He managed to get out before leaving the store, bread and milkless.  
  
+++++  
  
Tc came barging through the front door, dumped his things on the floor in the middle of Chris's newly cleaned floor and stood there with his arms folded and steam coming out of his ears. 'Is there something you want to tell me?' He said quietly but dangerously.  
  
'Um, nothing that comes to mind.' She said coyly.  
  
'Drop it Chris! I just ran into the doctor at the markets and he says your pregnant!' He marched over to his wife and loomed over her.  
  
'Ooh, did you pick up some bread and milk?'  
  
'Damn you Chris, why didn't you tell me!' He hollered at her.  
  
Chris shrugged. 'I'm pregnant. There, you know. I don't see what the big deal is anyway.'  
  
'Big deal? Being pregnant is a big deal. Finding out by someone other than my wife is a big deal. This is a big deal!'  
  
'Tc, it is my body, my baby and my life. The minute you found out would be the minute everybody else found out and I would be pounced on. I had everybody come up to me, kissing and congratulating me when we were getting married, I don't want everyone to come up and rub my belly. Don't I get a say in this?'  
  
'Of course you get a say in this. If you didn't want me to tell anyone for a while I wouldn't have. I can't believe you don't trust me.'  
  
'And I can't believe you don't trust me. I would have told you eventually.' Chris made a mental note to kick the doctor's butt. Wasn't he supposed to keep things like this a secret?  
  
'Before or after the baby was born?' He sighed and sat down in a chair, resting his head in his hands before facing off to her again. 'Chris, I love you. I would have protected you. I would have helped you with the chores or hired someone to help you...'  
  
'But then everyone would think that I'm a useless wife more than they already think that. I hate being a failure.'  
  
'You're not a failure Chris.'  
  
'I make you gag with my cooking, I don't act prim and proper when I should and I had to get Cory to take the hems out on my clothes so they'd fit. How am I not a failure?'  
  
Normally Tc would have argued the point with her but today he felt drained. He was still angry she hadn't told him. Instead of trying to reason with her he just sat there until she walked away.  
  
'I'm going to have a nap.' She took to the stairs and he didn't see here again for the rest of the night.  
  
+++++  
  
Tc sat up for a long time thinking about their situation. There was so much to do and to sort out before the baby was born, and he didn't even know how long he had.  
  
They'd have to get a nursery ready and purchase furniture. He'd have to hire a maid to help with the cleaning and a yard hand to help with the horses. He'd have to tell their families at some point so he'd have to find out from Chris when she wanted that done.  
  
It was around midnight that Tc finally went upstairs to sleep. He lit a candle and went into their room but their bed was empty. He figured she'd crept outside to use the bathroom so he kept the candle burning and waited for her to return.  
  
+++++  
  
At some point he fell asleep and when he woke the candle has been burned down and his bed was still empty. The morning sun shone through the window and a sun beam highlighted a piece of paper on Chris's nightstand.  
  
He picked it up and read it.  
  
'Tc,  
  
I need some time to get my head together, time away from you. I care about you but sometimes it just isn't enough for me. I don't want to be your wife, I want to be your equal and so I am going. I don't know how long I'll be gone, I just need to think.  
  
Chris.'  
  
Tc folded the paper and put it in his pocket before running into the paddock to saddle up a horse. As much as she was going to hate him for it he was coming after her, and this time he needed some help.  
  
+++++ 


	8. Uploaded bit 8

Tc's first thought was to ride to the hardware store. If Chris was hiding anywhere Victor would be the one to know where.

After tying up his horse he walked casually into the store. 'Seen Chris this morning?'

Victor was sweeping the floor and shook his head. 'Last time I saw her was yesterday afternoon. Why?'

'She didn't make it home last night.' He lied. He wanted Chris back and knew he wouldn't get much help from the townspeople looking for her if she'd simply run away.

'Chris and Cory left together yesterday. They usually walk home together until they reach the fork in the road that goes to Cory's. Maybe she stayed there the night?'

Tc nodded. 'Thanks man.'

He saddled back up and rode away. In his mind he went over the conversation he'd just had a number of times looking for signs that Victor might have been lying.

* * *

It was like riding into enemy territory as he approached the McNamara's farm and was glad to see Cory out the front picking flowers.

'Oh hi.' She said cheerfully as he approached.

Tc dismounted and Cory patted the horse. 'Is Chris here?' He asked Cory.

She shook her head. 'No, why?'

'I just talked to Victor. He said the two of you walked home together last night.'

'We walked up to the fork in the road over there.' She pointed to the way Tc had just come. 'She kept going and I came home. Why do you ask? Is something wrong?'

'She wasn't there when I got home and I didn't see her all night.' He lied again.

Cory gasped which startled the horse and it stepped back in fright. 'Oh my god! I hope nothing has happened.'

'Me too.' He said to himself as he watched Cory run yelling into the house. She emerged a few moments later with her brother and father in tow. 'They'll help you look for her.' She announced and hurried the men on their way.

* * *

The search party grew to five as Tc and the McNamara men met up with Teddy and Ethan Callaway on the ride back into town. They'd been on their way to mend a fence but had found that there were now more pressing issues at hand.

'We'll find her faster if we split up.' Tc suggested. His father and brother made up one team, Cory's father and brother made up another. 'You're with me.' He told Victor who'd also been roped into searching for Chris while Rosa minded the store.

The teams went their different ways. Tc and Victor were going to check the area from Tc's farm to the mill. It wasn't that far a distance but there was a fairly dense stretch of forest on either side of the road.

'What are you doing?' Victor asked when Tc directed his horse into the forest.

'Looking for my wife.' Was his reply.

'Chris wouldn't go in there.'

'How do you know?'

'Well think about it. There's no food, no clean water and not much shelter and she wouldn't feel like knocking up a hut in her condition.' Victor almost kicked himself for that last comment, instead however, he kicked the horse which reared up and tossed Victor off.

He cursed himself as he landed. Of course he shouldn't have kicked the horse. What did he expect? He checked quickly for broken bones.

Tc got down off his own steed. 'Are you all right?' He asked and offered a hand to Victor.

'Yeah, I'm fine.'

That was until Tc flung him up against a tree. 'Where is she?' He growled.

'Where is who? Chris?' Victor said. He could almost see Tc's pulse through the tensed muscles of his neck.

'Yes you moron. I know you are hiding her now where is she?!'

'I'm not hiding her I swear!' Victor tried squirming from underneath Tc's grip the rage that had him pinned to the tree was too strong to escape.

'Right...just like you weren't hiding her before the wedding either.'

'I wasn't hiding her then either. I was just covering for her.'

'How do I know you aren't covering for her now?'

'I am not an idiot. Chris is pregnant. If I was hiding her I'd have her at my place or at the hardware store, both of which you are free to search till your heart is content. I would not however be hiding her in the middle of a dingy forest.'

Tc seemed satisfied with this answer and let Victor go with a parting shove. 'Then where is she?' His voice nearly breaking with emotion.

Victor shrugged and went to grab his horse that had found a nice patch of grass to nibble on. 'Probably somewhere that she would be safe and healthy. Have you checked with her parents?'

He hadn't even thought she might go back to her parents' house and he would be looking the fool if she had. He mounted his horse. 'Let's go.' He commanded.

Chris however, wasn't at her parents place, or anywhere else that was searched and Tc went home that night tired, sunburned, dusty and awfully lonely.

* * *

A few days later Victor went down to his family's barn to do chores. He climbed that ladder to the loft, pitchfork in hand and started turning the hay.

Tc had been on his back since Chris's disappearance thinking that Victor has hiding her. Tc had regularly been a visitor to the hardware store, often dropping by unannounced in the hope to catch him out. Cory had also reported seeing Tc spy on Victor.

Victor was lost in thought as he speared the hay and turned it. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he poked the hay once more and a hand flew out and grabbed the fork.

Chris sat up and pushed the hay away from her face. 'Watch where you are poking that thing!' She said as Victor tried to recover his composure.

'What the hell are you doing here?! Tc's got the whole town out looking for you.'

Chris shrugged. 'I can take care of myself.'

'That's not the point. He's telling everyone you were abducted and is pointing the finger at me.'

'So don't let him Del Toro. Stick up for yourself.' She lay back down and covered herself up. Over the last couple of weeks she found she needed naps more often and was enjoying a good sleep when Victor had arrived.

'That's easy for you to say. You're his wife, not his employee.' He went back to turning the hay making sure he kept away from Chris.

She picked up a piece of hay and chewed on it. 'You aren't going to tell him I'm here, are you?'

'Why not? You're illegally squatting on our property.'

'Fine then.' She said nonchalantly.

Victor gave her an odd look. 'Fine?' He questioned.

'Yeah. I'm fine with that.' She paused. 'Cause I'll just tell him that you kidnapped me and held me hostage.' Chris smiled sweetly.

'You're horrible.

Chris nodded. 'Now, what are you going to bring me for breakfast?'

The bread, meat and cheese she'd brought with her hadn't lasted all that long even with her strict rationing. Lately she'd been scrounging around the homestead for remnants of food. She hadn't had much luck. It appeared that Victor was a fan of Rosa's cooking and there were very few leftovers. Occasionally she'd snuck into the house when no one was home and grabbed something for herself.

* * *

Tc went into the town's tavern and sat down heavily on a stool at the bar in front of Cory who was wiping down the surface. Her father had thought it was a good idea that she learn to work like a commoner. It also stopped her from redecorating their entire house while he was at work. At the time Cory didn't understand why he didn't like her arrangement of wildflowers as a lavatory seat decoration.

'Ale?' She asked. He nodded and went to pour him a glass. 'Any sign of her?' Cory asked quietly. Rumors were already circulating the town as to the fate of Christine Callaway. Some even said she'd been murdered.

Tc shook his head. 'Nobody's seen her, nobody's heard from her. Even Nutcracker is worried but doesn't know where she is.'

'Maybe she hasn't gone that far. I would have thought she'd take Nutcracker is she was going to travel long-distance.' She put the glass down in front of him and took his coin.

'I thought that too but this is a small town. If she was staying locally I'm sure someone would have seen her.' He took a sip. 'Unless they aren't telling me.'

'You still suspect Victor?' She asked and went back to wiping the bench.

Tc nodded. 'I don't think he's done anything to her, but he's the one she would turn to. Please tell me you know something.'

Cory shook her head sadly. 'I know you're desperate to find her Tc, but if Victor is with her then at least you know she's safe.'

'I just don't understand why. I could threaten him with everything under the sun but he still wouldn't tell me where she is. What has she got over him?'

Cory shrugged. 'Who knows. He's a loyal friend to her. Maybe he's lonely. It's not like he's found a wife of his own.' She leaned over the counter and held his hand gently. 'Don't worry yourself. Chris will come back in due course. I just know it.'

Tc smiled grimly and stood. 'If you hear anything...' He started.

'You'd be the first to know.' She replied.

Tc went out into the late afternoon sun. He couldn't help but think that if Chris were here, how it would bounce of her blonde tresses like a halo. He was more than just worried about her. Tc had Russ to thank for keeping the mill running on schedule during these hard times for he couldn't face doing anything but searching while Chris was still gone.

He wandered slowly through the town, kicking a rock the lay in his wake when he saw Victor closing the hardware store.

'You're going home early.' Tc called to Victor and made his way over.

'Um yeah. It's Mum's birthday and I promised I'd be home a little early.' Victor said bolting the door.

'Wasn't it her birthday last week?'

Victor shrugged. 'We're having a late celebration.'

Tc looked thoughtfully from Victor to his horse, it's saddlebags filled flour, salt, wine and other necessities but, Tc thought, much more than what his family would need. 'Well, wish her happy birthday for me.'

Tc thought Victor let out a relieved sigh. 'Will do, thanks man.' Victor said and gone on his mount and rode away home.

Tc waited until Victor had gained a few paces before jogging back for his own horse. Tc was sure Victor knew something and he was determined to find out what.

Tc stowed his horse behind the dairy shed and crept towards the house. Victor had gone inside presumably to unload the groceries so Tc made a mad dash to safety beside the barn and waited.

Sure enough, Victor emerged from the house a short time later with a canvas bag and headed towards the barn.

Tc's breath has heavy with anxiety as he circled the barn to the front door and peered around the edge cautiously. He wasn't sure what he expected to find but frowned when there was no one was in sight. He released his pent up breath. Sure enough Victor was just going about his afternoon chores.

Tc went to leave but stopped when he heard voices.

'I can't keep doing this. Someone is going to find out you're here.' Victor voice came from the loft.

'Relax will you. Even if someone finds out it's not like you kidnapped me.' Tc's heart sunk as he realized it was Chris. 'It's about time you got here too. I'm starving!' She groaned.

'Well get comfortable and I'll show you what I've brought for you.' Victor said.

Tc had images of Chris lying back seductively in the hay while Victor undressed himself in front of her. Each breath was shallow as he waited on edge for the next sound.

'Mmm,' Chris moaned. 'Oh it's so good.' She said as she swallowed her mouthful of warm herb bread and fresh butter than Victor had brought her.

'Glad I could be of service.' He sat down next to Chris and threw a few pieces of hay over the edge of the loft for something to do.

'I've been craving this all day. How did you know?' Rosa had been experimenting with different bread recipes and unbeknownst to Rosa, Chris had been reaping the spoils.

'I know you Chris.' Victor said. 'And because you liked it this morning as well.'

Tc glared up at the loft. So Chris was dropping around regularly for meetings with Victor. He couldn't take it anymore and strode across the barn floor to the ladder.

Chris squealed as Victor stole a piece of her bread while she had a mouthful. She tried to wrestle it off him. 'Give it to me Victor!' She yelled and pounced on him.

He fought back. When Victor finally had Chris pined to a pile of hay their clothes were disheveled and they were breathing heavily. Victor had a rip in the chest of his shirt and Chris's hair was messy and was strewn with straw.

Tc reached the top of the stairs as Victor, still pining down Chris, removed a few bits of straw from her hair.

'What the hell is going on?' Tc bellowed, his voice bouncing off the walls of the barn like a megaphone.

'What does it look like Tc?' Chris asked, her tone emanating annoyance. So he'd found her, so what?

'One question Chris,' Tc said scowling, 'Do you even know who the father is?'

Victor jumped to his feet. 'Just wait a minute...'

'Pipe down Victor.' Chris interrupted him. 'He's looking for someone to blame and I'm not going to let it be you.'

Tc looked from Chris to Victor and back again. 'I thought so.' He said and climbed down the ladder.

* * *

Chris stayed in the barn for an hour or so to give Tc time to get home and calm down before she followed him.

Tc's seething gaze was the first thing she saw when she entered the house. 'What the hell are you doing here?' He spat out.

'I live here Tc. Have you forgotten?' She hung up her coat and went into the kitchen. The whole pregnancy thing was playing with her appetite.

'So you go to him for love and affection and you come home for food?' He said following her.

Chris spun around. 'Why do I always attract the crazy people?' She said to herself. 'I am not, have not and will not have an affair with Victor.'

'That's not what it sounded like to me. "Oh Victor, it's so good" and all the moaning and groaning.'

Chris rolled her eyes. 'He brought me some of Rosa's bread. It tasted good and I was hungry.' She pushed past him and headed for the stairs. 'You are such a loser. How about you try trusting me?'

A short time later Tc went upstairs to find Chris and found her packing a suitcase. 'What are you doing?' He asked.

'What does it look like?' She sulked. He could see by the redness of her eyes that she'd been crying.

'You're moving in with him?'

Chris paused with a folded shirt dangling in midair. 'None of your business.' She tossed the shirt into the case and slammed the lid.

Tc scoffed and went to the living room. He picked up a book and pretended to read while Chris slammed drawers and doors upstairs, then marched through the house with her cases and out to the barn.

'Chris! Thank god you're okay. Where have you been?' Mrs Kelly ran and hugged her daughter.

The farmhand Chris's father had hired after he realized he wouldn't be getting any sons came and took the reins of Chris's horse.

'I'm fine Mum.' Chris said when the farmhand was out of earshot. 'I was...away. Tc and I have broken up.'

Mrs Kelly's jaw dropped. 'What happened?'

'I don't want to talk about it.' Her mother started to protest but Chris cut her off. 'Please Mum. I'm tired. I just want to go to sleep.'

Mrs Kelly nodded and guided her daughter to a bedroom.

* * *


	9. Uploaded bit 9

Days past, then weeks and months and as Chris's stomach grew so did the hole in her heart. She missed Tc more than she wanted to admit to herself. The brief time they'd spent together, however stormy, had transformed her from the young lady who looked forward to spending time with her horse to the woman who looked forward to the second her husband got home from work.

Now it seemed all of that was gone. The love, the debates, the laughter, it was all missing from her life. It felt like she didn't have a life at all.

Chris walked along the dusty street with a basket in her hand. She was going to get groceries but felt no hurry to get there, not that she felt much these days. And to hinder her even further, the baby had gotten so big that her walk was more like a waddle.

The sound of thundering hooves behind her as she went past the road to the Callaway's house brought her back to reality. She had to dash out of the way before a speeding carriage knocked her down. She yelled some rather rude remarks but the driver didn't stop. Two more carriages followed the first; the last was an iron prison containing approximately ten Mexican women.

Chris glared at the carriages. Tc was lucky they weren't together else he'd be hearing about Chris's point of view about the treatment of those women.

Chris sighed at the realization she'd probably never speak to Tc again let alone experience his warmth as she lay in his arms being held and caressed. Never again be swept away by the feverish passion that had claimed most of their marriage. Never again feel happy.

Victor had just finished chatting with the local baker about the pros and cons of pine over teak when a fat, sweaty white man wobbled into the store dragging a shackled Mexican girl behind him.

The girl barely looked up at Victor, her gaze fixed steadily on the floor. By the marks on her wrists Victor guessed that she probably escaped more beatings this way.

She'd been dressed in a tight fitted dress complete with corset and had been made from some of the finest material he'd ever seen…and he'd been hanging around with Cory lately. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders and framed the soft skin of her face. Still, the bruises, scars, shackles and the scared look in her eyes made her look like a slave rather than a lady, which was the intention of her master.

The fat man caught Victor staring at the girl and laughed. 'She's something isn't she? One of my newer possessions.' He yanked the chain. 'They're always strong willed until you break their spirit.'

Victor's eyes narrowed. 'Possessions?'

The man laughed again, his chins swaying. 'Thought she could fight my men off some land down south, her and that scrawny little brother of hers. I don't see why these people don't just give up.' He touched a finger to the girl's cheek. She flinched and pulled away slightly to which the man responded by slapping her across the side of the head and sent her sprawling to the ground.

Victor picked up a hammer from underneath the desk.

Ethan Callaway made a timely appearance and took the hammer from Victor. 'I'll take it from here thank you.' He said to Victor. 'Maybe you'd like to take this woman into the back room and get her cleaned up while I talk business with Mr Fraser.'

Ethan led 'Mr Fraser' outside onto the street while Victor helped the girl to her feet and led her to the sink of water in the back room of the store. He took out the handkerchief his mother insisted on putting in his pocket every morning, dipped it in the cool water and put it to the fresh cut on the girl's face. One of the many expensive jewels Mr Fraser wore had made a large bloody scratch across her cheek.

'I'm Victor.' He said.

'I'm Linda.' She replied in barely a whisper.

Their hands met as Linda held the handkerchief to her face and replaced his hand.

'Wait here, I'll be right back.' Victor said. He dashed into the store, briefly checking for Ethan and Mr Fraser. The coast was clear and Victor returned with a chisel and hammer.

Linda's eyes went wide. 'What are you doing?'

Victor took her hands lay them against a wooden bench near the sink. 'Getting these chains off you.' He strategically placed the chisel against the lock on one of the cuffs. 'Don't move.' He warned.

Linda closed her eyes tightly as he brought the hammer down hard against the chisel. The lock broke and the cuff fell open. Victor quickly broke the other lock and threw the chains to the other side of the room.

Victor rubbed her wrists where the shackles had been. 'Who is that guy?'

She shrugged. 'Some rich man. He came to our home and threatened my father. Told Papa that he'd have to give money, lots of money or he'd be killed. If he gave the money we'd be left alone.'

'So what happened?'

'Papa gave him the money. Only he said it wasn't enough.' Tears brimmed in her eyes. 'He killed my parents and took me. Only my little brother escaped. I haven't seen him since.'

Victor swore under his breath. 'I should have hit him with the hammer when I had the chance.'

'He'll come back for me. The other girls are locked in a cage in the barn we're staying at; with that man that was here before.'

'Ethan Callaway?'

Linda shrugged. 'I'm not sure of his name. His son, I think, comes by every now and then and brings us food and clean water. He's sad. The wedding ring he wears brings him great pain.'

'Tc and his wife have separated. She's pregnant and he misses her.'

'He's lucky.' Linda said. She touched the wound on her cheek, winced and put the handkerchief back in place.

'How so? He's heartbroken and facing a life without the woman he loves.'

'He's lucky because he is free. He has felt love and has married. I'll never marry and soon I'll be sold as a slave. I'll never feel what it feels like to love a man and have him love me in return.'

Victor left some time later to find some food for his new friend but found the backroom of the store empty upon his return.

'Where's Linda?' He asked Ethan.

'Who?' Ethan asked.

'Linda. The Mexican girl that barbarian was using as a whipping post.'

'Mr Fraser took her with him.'

Victor just stared with his mouth hanging open. 'She's a slave. He's going to sell her off!'

'If he doesn't kill her first.' Ethan voiced Victor's fears.

'You HAVE to do something! This Mr Fraser guy extorted her parents before killing them and her brother is on the run by himself. She'll probably end up being sold as a wench. You're wealthy, can't you do something?' Victor pleaded.

'Apparently Mr Fraser knows the McNamaras quite well. I'm going to meet with him and see what I can do.' Ethan sighed. 'Victor I understand your plight and those women aren't being treated well. Just leave it with me.'

Victor was on his way home that night when he was stopped by Chris and Cory. The saddlebags on their mounts were filled to overflowing.

'We need your help.' Chris said. 'There are some women being held in Ethan and Katherine's barn and Tc told Cory that their master isn't feeding them.'

'I know.' He said. 'I met one today. She's gorgeous.'

Chris and Cory looked at each other. 'Looks like Victor has a girlfriend.' Cory said and they laughed.

'Yeah, one problem. She's a little out of my price range.' He shook his head. 'I'll help you. What do you need me to do?'

'My uncle often purchases slaves through my father from this cretin but doesn't treat them like slaves. They work for him in his businesses. He pays them wages and they are good and loyal workers. Mr Fraser is in town wanting to drum up business with the Callaways so that my uncle will pay more for slaves. Father has asked that I meet with Ethan and negotiate an alliance of sorts to stop the extortion. Victor if you could come with me as my stable hand and then you can keep a look out while Chris goes down to the barn to bring food to the women.'

'Are you in?' Chris said, one hand on her hip, the other on her stomach.

'Let's do it.' Victor replied.

Chris waited out of sight behind a bush while Victor walked Cory on her horse to the front of the Callaway's residence.

Ethan had been inside the house awaiting Cory's presence and came out to greet her with Mr Fraser tagging along.

Cory stuck her head up indignantly and allowed Victor to lift her from the horse before flicking the reins to him like a spoilt rich child. She walked with her nose in the air and with perfect posture gained after years of etiquette training.

After brief introductions Cory was invited into the homestead which was Chris's signal to come out of hiding. She walked alongside the horse as Victor took it to be watered before taking the food out of the saddlebags and heading off towards the barn.

She slipped inside as quietly as she could and was horrified when she came face to face with the women. They'd been left in the cage Chris first saw them in and the cart had simply been parked and left. They were rail thin from hunger and had little or dirty water to drink.

They were wary of her as she approached but the offering of food calmed the tense air. While they ate Chris ducked out the back door to fill up some buckets of water. She hurried back in and filled up their water dishes.

'What are you doing?' A voice came from above her and Chris jumped a mile.

She looked up. Tc was lying on his stomach in the hay and peering over the edge of the loft. 'Tc! You nearly gave me heart failure!'

'Shh, keep it down. You don't want that Mr Fraser idiot to hear.' He got up, dusting off his clothes and came down from the loft.

Chris scanned the faces of the women. They weren't at all anxious with Tc's presence so she gathered that they felt Tc didn't pose a threat. 'What are you doing here?'

'Same as you. I was visiting when I saw Cory come in so I ducked out here. I barely made it inside before I saw you coming.' Tc explained. 'What about you? I'm guessing the three of you are in this together.' He said.

Chris nodded. 'Cory is out distraction. Victor is our lookout.' Chris felt the bars of the cage. 'This is wrong Tc.'

'No kidding.'

A woman came to the bars where Chris was standing. 'You are Chris, yes?'

'That's right. How did you know?' Chris couldn't help but notice the fresh cut on the woman's cheek.

'I saw Victor.' Linda explained. 'He says you are separated from your husband.' She nodded at Tc. 'Tc misses you. He looks after us because he can't look after you.'

The door to the barn opened and Chris grabbed Tc for support. Victor walked in and Chris slapped him on the arm. 'You are supposed to be keeping lookout, not scaring me to death!'

Victor opened his mouth to say something, then saw Linda. He rushed over to her and held her hand through the bars. 'Don't worry, I'll get you out of here.'

'I'd hate to break up the party but we'd better get out of here before we're all caught.' Tc said. 'Fraser has declared this a no go zone and we'll all be lynched if we're found.'

Victor kissed Linda's hand and made more sweet promises before following Chris and Tc from the barn.

'You know I can't believe any man can have this much power over any woman.' Chris said to no one in particular.

'Well he hasn't got a wife like you to put him in his place.' Tc slid his hand around Chris's waist.

She pulled away and Victor took it as his cue to disappear.

'Look Chris, I know the marriage was arranged and that you love Victor but I would love you to come home, just as long as you don't go on seeing him.'

Chris glared. 'I can't believe you still think I am seeing Victor.' She shook her head. 'Did you not see how he acted back there with Linda. Victor doesn't love me, he loves Linda. If you were smart you'd talk your father into buying Linda for Victor and then you wouldn't have to worry.'

Tc smiled at Chris's brilliance. 'That is a good idea, only my father would never go for it. He doesn't believe in buying slaves.

Chris shrugged. 'You're loss.' She said simply and made her way back to Nutcracker who was still hiding patiently in the bushes.

Was it Victor's imagination or was Ethan keeping him busier than usual in the store. He'd come in one day and ordered that everything was dirty and needed to be cleaned from top to bottom. Victor felt like pointing out that there was a dirt road outside and how else did Ethan think the dirt was coming in.

So by the third day of dusting, polishing and scrubbing Victor felt like he deserved a break. He persuaded Tc to work the store that afternoon then closed the store for lunch and saddled his horse for a quick ride through the town – destination the Callaway's barn.

He didn't make it that far before the thunderous convoy of Fraser's carriages came roaring towards him…with the women still inside the cage. Ethan came from no where and took the reins of Victor's ride.

'What are you doing?!' Victor yelled over the commotion. 'He's going to sell them off to god knows who. They'll probably all wind up dead!'

'There is nothing you can do.' Ethan said firmly.

Victor watched the carriages go by. Linda reached through the bars of the cage towards him; tear stains on her cheeks. She said his name silently.

'The hell there isn't.' Victor said to Ethan. 'Her life is worth more than this.' He kicked his horse into action and the reins were ripped out of Ethan's grasp. Not sure where he was going or what he was going to do Victor followed the carriages.

He rode behind them for a few miles before his heart stopped racing and the adrenalin stopped pumping and he realized that there was little he could do without while they were still on the move. He slowed back to a reasonable pace. If he stayed back and out of the way he could catch up to them when the carriages stopped to rest the horses and then he'd…do something.

Chris hid herself as best she could between the thick bushes and silently prayed her plan would work.

She'd known for days now that Fraser would be leaving town with the women after the negotiations between the McNamaras and the Callaways had broken down. Fraser was angry at both families and made plans to leave as soon as possible. Chris had spent these precious few days carrying out her plan. Her whole body yelled at her for the abuse she'd put it through and she just hoped that it hadn't harmed her child but she'd finished her preparations and was about to find out whether it had all been worth it.

There was a sharp turn around a thick part of bush on a road a few miles out of town. She'd spent days digging a rather large hole around this corner. If Fraser drove his horses as quickly as he did he'd easily hit Chris's hole, especially since she'd patched it up with a few leaves and covered it with enough dirt to make it blend in.

She could hear Fraser's carriages coming down the road now. The lead carriage was first, being much lighter and easier to pull than the metal cage. It didn't slow as it approached. The side wheels went into the hole and threw the carriage off balance. The roof was torn off with pieces of wood flying everywhere. The horses were spurred on by fear of the loud noises of breaking wood and ran faster to get away from it, in the process dragging Fraser to his death underneath the upturned carriage.

The second carriage had been following a fair distance behind by this stage and the driver had enough time to pull the horses to a halt before they hit the hole in the road. He dismounted from the carriage and looked after it in sheer disbelief.

'Help us!' One of the girls called to the driver. 'He's dead, let us go!'

The driver at that point realized his own freedom. He cut the leather leads off the horses and let most of them go free, even whipping a few in order that they leave hurriedly. He kept one horse though and merely glanced at the trapped women. He took the keys out of his pocket and threw them on the ground before mounting his horse and riding off into the midday sun. The women screamed for his help but he did not stop.

After he'd been gone a while and she was sure he wouldn't be coming back in a hurry, Chris emerged from the bush brushing dirt from her clothes and pulling leaves from her hair. She jumped when she hear hoofs beating the ground behind her.

'What are you doing?' Victor rode up and surveyed the scene. 'Did you do this?'

Chris put her hands on her hip which only emphasized her swollen stomach. 'Does it look like I could do this?'

Victor came over to her and took her hand gently as if to calm her - then turned them over to reveal the calluses caused by digging the hole. 'I think you're as guilty as hell.'

He wandered over to the cart and found the keys, climbing up to the lock.

'Like you even care. You wanted this as much as I did. Fraser's dead, they're free.' Chris lent a hand to the women and they jumped down from the cart.

'And you'll be in trouble if anyone finds out.' He waited for the rest of the women to get down before jumping off himself. 'Do you still have the shovel?'

Chris nodded. 'It's under that bush.'

Victor went to where Chris was pointing and retrieved the shovel. 'Good. You'll have to walk these women back to town. Tell everyone you see that you picking flowers or something. Then the carriages came along. Fraser's was going fast and didn't see that the second one had an accident – the wheel fell off.' He gripped the shovel and started hitting the wheel.

'What are you going to do?' Chris asked.

'Damage the wheel. It will look like it fell off. Then I'm going to cover in that hole.' Chris looked skeptically at him. 'I'll have enough time. It's going to take a while for eleven women to wander back into town.' One of the spokes of the wheel cracked and Victor pried the wheel off the axel. He jumped out of the way quickly as the carriage crashed down onto one corner.

'What about this?' Chris held up her hands.

'Put some gloves on and don't think about it again. You're Tc's pregnant wife. Nobody will suspect it was you, especially lover boy himself.'

'What about you?'

'I've got my horse. I'll be long gone by the time someone comes to check out the scene.' He pointed to the sky. 'You'd better get going. It's going to rain.'

Chris looked up at the darkening sky. This would no doubt be a good thing for them as it would settle the soil and make their hole a little less noticeable. 'Come on,' Chris motioned for the women to follow her.

They started walking, the women talking among themselves. Linda fell into step with Chris which wasn't hard as her back was aching. 'Thank you.' Linda said quietly.

'Don't mention it. Really, please don't mention it. Once they realize Fraser isn't coming back for you they should probably let you stay in town. I know Tony and Helen Palermo are looking for someone to help out in their business. It is hard working keeping up with the needs of three upper-class families and their thirst for elaborate clothing.'

'I've already spoken to the others. We'll tell no one.'

'I'm glad. Ouch!' Chris grabbed her side and a sudden pain hit her.

'Are you hurt?' Linda asked putting a hand on Chris's stomach. 'Is it the baby?'

Chris shook her head as the pain subsided. 'No, I just overdid it digging that hole and all. I've probably pulled a muscle or two.'

The women had no problem sticking to Victor's version of events. One minute they were happy to be free but as soon as they neared the town they began acting frightened and traumatized by the accident. The people in the town were too busy treating ten half starved, scared, dramatic women that they didn't stop to ask questions.

Ethan had been the first to ride out to survey the scene of the accident but had come back seemingly clueless as to the true happens that took place earlier in the day.

Cory was having a great time playing hostess and most of the girls were given rooms in her vast estate. Being the woman of the house she tended to get her own way and any objections her father had were quickly reasoned away with a quick peck to the cheek by his beloved daughter.

Chris had also been kept busy with the commotion. Katherine and her own mother fussed over her insisting she'd overdone it walking back into town. They took her straight home to her bed, wrapped her in blankets with tea and soup and insisted she rested. Not that she minded one little bit. Sleeping in was her specialty and she had overdone it and not by merely walking into town. She didn't need much prompting to rest. She fell asleep nearly as soon as she was horizontal.

Chris hid herself as best she could between the thick bushes and silently prayed her plan would work. She'd known that Fraser would be leaving town and had made plans to leave as soon as possible. Chris had spent these precious few days carrying out her plan.

She could hear Fraser's carriages coming down the road now. They didn't slow and the side wheels went into the hole and threw the carriage off balance with pieces of wood flying everywhere. The horses were spurred on by fear of the loud noises of breaking wood and ran faster to get away from it, in the process dragging Fraser to his death.

The driver of the second carriage had enough time to pull the horses to a halt before they hit the hole in the road.

'Help me!' A voice called from the metal cage as the driver took one of the horses and rode away into the sunset.

Chris was confused. She'd come to save a group of women and that voice was far from feminine.

'Chris, help me!' The voice called again.

She slowly crept from the bushes, pulling twigs and leaves from her hair and clothes. She was startled to see Tc in the cage. He was covered from head to toe in dust from the road but seemed otherwise unharmed.

'What are you doing in there Tc?' Chris asked bewildered. She put her hands on her hips but something was not right. She looked down and realized she was no longer pregnant. Then she looked back to Tc and realized it was he that carried their child. 'This is too weird.' She muttered to herself and looked around for the keys to the cage. She found them where the driver had left them the first time around. Jumping up on the carriage she opened the cage and Tc carefully climbed out; after all he had a child to protect now.

She looked at his squarely. 'Okay, I know this is a dream but what is going on?'

Tc shrugged looking as unknowing about their situation as she was. 'I need you Chris. I need you to love me.'

'But I thought I did.' She replied.

He closed the gap between them and took her in his arms. 'I never felt it. You never let go and showed me that you were truly mine. I need you to let down your barrier Chris, for the sake of our child.' He caressed his swollen stomach. 'Please Chris.'

Chris sat up straight in the bed, breathing quickly. She frowned. What was with that dream she'd just had? How the hell did Tc get pregnant?!

It bothered her enough that she found it impossible to go back to sleep. She lay there analyzing her dream. Maybe she had been too distant from Tc. Maybe she hadn't let him get close because she was afraid of getting hurt. After all, he was rich and powerful and downright gorgeous…and he wanted her and her alone. She suddenly realized what a fool she'd been. She didn't need to be afraid of him, he was just a man like any other, just wanting love, affection and someone to spend his life with and even when he'd come back to her she'd pushed him away again. No wonder he'd stopped trying and blamed their failed marriage on Victor. He couldn't see her fear and hurt and was wildly grasping for ideas.

She got up and dressed in warm clothes. It was still drizzling outside and it had cooled the nighttime temperature enough to make her shiver after being in her warm bed.

Chris crept quietly through the house hoping her parents wouldn't wake up and realize she was about to ride through town in the middle of the night by herself. She made it to the stables without incident and saddled up Tc's mare who whinnied excitedly at being allowed out for a ride.

She tried mounting the horse when a sharp pain rippled down her back. She winced and held onto the saddle tightly until the pain passed. It was strange. She thought that resting her back would have done it the world of good but instead the pain was more intense and lasted longer. It eventually subsided however and she was on her way.

The drizzle had quickly turned to rain which had then turned to a downpour, each drop stinging her skin like little wet needles. Then the winds had come blowing the rain into her eyes and making the road hard to ride on. More than once her mare had nearly thrown her off when she'd lost her footing in a pot hole in the road which was unlike this usually careful mare. Now the lightening was flashing all around her and the thunder was starting to spook the horse. If she'd known the horse was going to be this touchy in a storm she'd have brought Nutcracker.

Chris and Nutcracker had a lot in common and both loved storms. It was like the lightening gave off some of its energy to them. Chris had often been caught out in storms with Nutcracker and she'd felt exhilarated as they raced home for shelter. This storm however was starting to worry Chris. Her horse was frightened and skittish and the pains in Chris's back were getting worse and worse.

And it was strange that in one moment everything could change. In that one moment that the lightening bolt had struck a tree nearby; far enough not to cause any direct damage to the twilight travelers but close enough for the mare to finally lose the plot, rear wildly and send Chris tumbling from the horse and into the mud. The horse also decided that it would be far safer galloping at full throttle through the storm than waiting around for Chris so the mare took off leaving Chris wondering what the hell just happened. One minute she was on a horse, next the horse had gone and she was alone in the rain and the dark.

Chris checked to make sure her main joints still worked before slowly easing herself to her feet, only to feel a rush down her legs as her waters broke. Chris took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then when that didn't work, screamed the worst obscenity she could think of at the top of her lungs. She was still half an hour waddle from Tc's house and that was the closest building to her current location…and the baby was coming.

Tc couldn't sleep. Not that he ever really did sleep anymore. Not without Chris. When his father had come to him saying that he'd found the perfect wife for Tc he'd never thought that he'd actually fall in love with the girl, at least not to the extent of laying away night after night worrying where she was, what she was doing and who she was doing it with.

He spent his night laying alone in the dark room thinking about her, and his days in his office thinking about her. That was when he was actually at work. Russ and Monica's baby had been born and Monica often came to lunch with her husband and brought the baby. It made Tc sick to the stomach. Why couldn't he have a doting wife that brought him lunch and a baby? Cause he abused her when she tried, he thought, remembering when she had brought him lunch and he was too worried about her being killed by the machinery.

A bolt of lightening hit a tree causing him to snap out of his self pity. It was too close for comfort – the lightening bolt not the pity. He wondered what Chris was up to. She was probably in bed asleep, he thought. Or she was watching the storm, perhaps even thinking about him.

She was thinking about him. She was cursing his name for helping her get pregnant and that he wasn't psychic to come and help her. And that bloody horse, if she found it she'd turn it to glue in a second.

Tc heard a commotion outside. The horses often got rowdy during a storm but this was closer. Perhaps one of them had escaped the confines of the barn. He lit a lantern and went downstairs to check what was going on.

It didn't take him long to find the offending horse. It was running round and round in circles around the barn looking for a way in…only it wasn't one of his horses…not anymore. It was Chris's mare.

A cold shiver went down his spine. She wouldn't be out riding at this time of night would she? Not in the cold, wet rain? Did she get into trouble? Did the horse become frightened and buck her off? Tc's mind raced a mile a minute. He tried to tell himself that he was being paranoid. The stupid horse had probably broken out of its paddock at the Kelly's property and made a dash for 'home'. This was more likely the case. But what if it wasn't? Tc rushed back upstairs to dress for the weather, or at least to get some boots and a jacket. If Chris was in trouble and if he didn't at least see if she was all right he'd never forgive himself. Stuff Victor, he may be Chris's lover but Chris was Tc' love and he'd be damned if he let anything happen to her.

He let the frightened into the stable. Unintentionally, he just opened the door and it ran in. He had other things to worry about so he ignored it as it went prancing about. He made record time saddling his strongest, fastest and least scared horse and only stopped long enough to shut the barn door on the way out.

The pains were coming thick and fast now for Chris as she lay curled up on the side of the road. She didn't care that she was cold or that she was now soaked to the skin and covered in mud. She'd tried her best but only managed to crawl a couple of hundred meters up the road and collapse.

She was seeing things, hearing things. The sloshing of hoof prints stirring up mud and a dark figure moving towards her but she knew no one would be out at this time of night. She could even hear someone calling her name.

Tc nearly died when he saw her lying on the side of the road. It was worse than he thought. The horse had bucked her off and she'd broken her neck and died! He slowed the horse and jumped off before it had even stopped and ran to her side. He knelt down next to her body and lightly took a strand of in his fingers to smooth away from her face.

Her hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist. 'I-was-coming-to-see-you-and-it-started-raining-and-lightening-hit-a-tree-and-that-bloody-horse-bucked-me-off-and-my-waters-broke-and-the-baby-is-coming!' She screamed at him without taking a breath or even pausing between words. She looked up at him with a sorrowful expression. 'And I'm sorry.' She even let a few tears slip down her cheeks.

Tc pulled her into his arms and kissed her mud splattered forehead. 'I'm sorry too Chris.' Was all he could think to say.

'It was just that one time Victor was ever my lover. Not since and never again.' Chris had her arms wrapped around this neck and she hung on to him like a life line. 'He never even cared about me, not like you do and I never cared for him like I care about you. I just want you to love me Tc and not expect too much from me.'

He rubbed her back gently. 'I've always loved you. Right from the start when we went on that picnic and you were riding a horse in a white velvet dress and you looked so beautiful I could have married you right then and there.' He pushed her away but only so he could look into her eyes. 'And I never expected anything from you but for you to love me in return.' Chris was sobbing gently, he realized.

'I want to come home.'

Tc kissed her forehead again and helped her to her feet. 'My horse awaits, madam.' He then picked her up and carried her as the labor pains knocked her legs out from underneath her.

They made it back to Tc's house within minutes; the horse not realizing what had hit it. It had just run as fast as it could with double the weight and then it was just left in the paddock…too bad there was some fresh new hay under an awning by the barn.

Tc carried Chris inside and lay her on the rug in front of the fire, then stood there looking, not knowing what to do. She'd already started pushing automatically without really having to think about it.

'What do I do?' He asked.

'I don't know!' She wailed.

'Blankets. You need to be warm and dry.' He scurried off as Chris lay moaning on the floor. He came back a few moments later with a pile of blankets and knelt beside her undoing her wet clothes. With a little bit of re-arranging he managed to rid her of her clothing and throw them into a big wet pile in the corner of the room.

He let his eyes gaze over her. He'd seen her in all her naked glory before but this was different. She'd changed. Her stomach was now huge with his child and her breasts had grown as well.

'Tc, now is not the time to be perving.' Chris said between gritted teeth.

'Uh right.' He said putting a blanket over her and using another to help dry her.

She cried out as another rush of pain came over her and he felt like doing the same. She'd grabbed a hold of his arm and was digging her fingers nails into his flesh.

He positioned a blanket under her head as a pillow and on the floor between her legs. 'You're doing well honey.' He murmured softly to her.

'How the hell would you know!' Was her response. As quickly as the pain had come it was over again and she lay back on her make shift pillow breathing heavily. 'Tc, I'm scared.' She said, nearly in a whisper.

'Me too.' He said. He stroked her skin and hair as she rested and held her hand and talked soft to her when she pushed. Each minute seemed to last hours.

'I think it's nearly there.' She said during one of her rest periods.

Tc swallowed hard and tried to stay expressionless as he looked. 'I think you're right. That looks like a head to me.'

'You'd better go get something to cut the cord with, and something to tie it with as well.' Chris was exhausted. All she wanted to do was sleep, especially now she was warm, dry and had her husband back.

Tc ran off and came back with a sharp knife and a length of rope. 'Will this do?'

'The knife is fine but the rope is too big. You'll need something smaller, like cotton.' She panted.

It didn't take him long to find the cotton. It was in an abandoned cupboard along with the needles, buttons, material, dresses, shoes, and a few hundred cooking recipes.

Chris was pushing again when he got back. 'Okay, now what?' He asked.

'Catch.' She groaned as she pushed hard.

Tc used a towel ease the slimy child out of its mother. It immediately started to cry. Tc nearly cried as well. 'It's a little girl.' He said, his voice thick with emotion. He wrapped up the squalling infant in the blanket and placed her in Chris's waiting arms giving Tc the change to tie and cut the cord and dispose of the placenta which he decided he'd bury the next day along with Chris's muddy clothes.

To Chris's surprise she stayed awake after the baby had been born, at least for a few hours. She'd fed the baby for the first time. Tc had stopped pacing the floor to sit down beside them and watch.

'She's so beautiful. Just like her mother.' He gently stroked his daughter's face as she suckled.

Chris simply smiled. It was so amazing to be cradling her baby after all she'd been through that night. She never thought there would be a happy ending but there she was, feeding her new baby with her husband by her side, doting over the both of them.

Not long afterwards both mother and baby were fast asleep on the rug cushioned by blankets. Tc still couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes one of them would stir or make a noise and he'd be wide awake again. The first light of morning was creeping through the windows before he even started to doze off only to have Chris's parents on his doorstep wondering where their daughter was.

He made them swear on the bible to be quiet before he led them into the living room to see the new arrival. They left shortly after at Tc's request. There was no way he was going to leave his wife and daughter yet Katherine Callaway would have a feature if she wasn't told about the birth so Tc sent Chris's parents on an errand.

It would at least give them enough time to feed the baby again, clothe Chris and move them upstairs to the bedroom where she could get some rest between visitors.

And there were many. Tc's entire family as well as Chris's were camped out in his living room for the remainder of the day. Chris's mother was cooking a feast while Katherine was doting all over Chris, bringing her tea, changing nappies and cleaning the house from top to bottom. Kerry was already busy knitting baby clothes while the men of the house sat around and gave Tc all the advice they could think of.

Cory stopped by bringing the most adorable silk gown that she'd handmade for the baby with matching bonnet and booties. She'd also brought news that no one had seen Victor or Linda since the two went off together after the accident. Even Rosa wasn't sure where they were.

'She'll probably come back pregnant.' Cory joked.

'I certainly hope so.' Chris said. 'It's about time that poor boy got a life.'

'Is everything okay now? With you and Tc I mean?' She asked.

Chris couldn't help but smile. 'I think everything will be fine. He was so wonderful last night; with me and with her.' She motioned to child sleeping in her arms. 'He loves her so much already. He's just not too taken with the name I picked out for her.'

'What name is that?'

'Nutcracker.'

Cory laughed. 'Are you serious?'

Chris grinned. 'What's wrong with that?' She said innocently. 'Tc wants to call her Angelique because she's an angel.'

'Aww, that's so sweet.' Cory cooed.

Chris looked at her like she's grown horns. 'You do realize she's my daughter so she'll never to be able to cook or sew.'

'And that's a problem?' Tc said appearing at the doorway.

Cory thought it best to make herself scarce.

Tc came over and lay on the bed with his wife and new baby daughter. 'If she is anything like you then I'll be the proudest father in the world. In fact, you should hear your father right now. He can't say enough how wonderful he thinks you are, how smart you are, how beautiful you are, how good a baby you were.' He gently leaned forward, making sure not to smother the baby and kissed his wife. 'I don't care that you aren't the perfect housewife. You're my perfect wife and you gave me my perfect daughter and I couldn't love you more right now if you tried.'

Chris smiled sleepily at him and stroked his face. 'I love you too.'

'I love you Chris. I always have and I always will.' He got up and rounded the bed to kiss her again before leaving her to rest. 'Goodnight sweetheart.' He said and closed the door.

Chris sat up straight in the bed, breathing quickly. She frowned. What was with that dream she'd just had? Why was she in those hideous dresses and bad shoes? Why was there no indoor bathroom? Why on earth did she have sex with Victor? And there was no way she was ever going through child birth again!

Tc's sleeping form next to her rolled over and squinted in the brightness of the early morning sunlight. 'What's wrong?' He mumbled.

Chris shook her head. 'I just had the weirdest dream…'

Tc put an arm around her and pulled her back under the covers so that she was lying tight up against him. 'It's okay.' He murmured in her ear. 'I'm here now.' Tc promptly went back to sleep.

Chris closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat. 'You always were.' She whispered.


End file.
